Vertex and Parion collaborate on epithelial sodium channel inhibitors

USA-based Vertex Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: VRTX) and privately-held Parion Sciences have entered into a collaboration to develop investigational epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) inhibitors for the potential treatment of cystic fibrosis (CF) and other pulmonary diseases.

Under the agreement, Vertex gains worldwide development and commercial rights to Parion’s investigational ENaC inhibitors, including P-1037 and P-1055, for CF and other pulmonary diseases. P-1037 is currently being evaluated in an exploratory Phase IIa study in people with CF, regardless of genotype. Vertex and Parion plan to begin an additional Phase IIa study that adds P-1037 to treatment with the investigational combination of lumacaftor and ivacaftor for people with CF who have two copies of the F508del mutation.

The collaboration is a further step in the transformation of Vertex, once a front-runner in the hepatitis C scenario with its Incivek (telaprevir), which the company decided to pull off the market last year, in the wake of falling sales and challenges from newer and superior hepatitis treatments such as Gilead Sciences’ (Nasdaq: GILD) Sovaldi (sofosbuvir) and others on the horizon. Vertex currently has an important position if the CF space with its Kalydeco (ivacaftor), which was approved in 2012 and was the first drug to treat underlying molecular abnormalities present in some cystic fibrosis patients.