Arrowhead initiates Phase 1/2a study of ARO-MMP7 to treat PF

Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals announced that it has dosed the first subjects in a Phase 1/2a clinical trial of ARO-MMP7, the company’s investigational RNA interference RNAi therapeutic designed to reduce the expression of matrix metalloproteinase 7 as a potential treatment for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis . "MMP7 is thought to play multiple roles in IPF pathogenesis, including promoting inflammation and aberrant epithelial repair and fibrosis," said James Hamilton, M.D., MBA, chief of discovery and translational medicine at Arrowhead. "ARO-MMP7 offers a novel approach to potentially address the significant unmet medical need that exists for patients with IPF, who experience progressive decline of lung function, despite currently available therapies."