Early Study to Test Bioelectronic Treatment for NASH Inflammation
A pre-clinical study to evaluate the therapeutic potential of a bioelectronic platform in preventing and reducing inflammation in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is beginning, its developer, Endonovo Therapeutics, announced. This is the first of multiple planned studies assessing the Immunotronics platform in inflammatory liver diseases, it said.
“We are delighted [to be] kick-starting our liver disease pipeline targeting large and unmet clinical needs, particularly in fatty liver disease,” Alan Collier, Endonovo CEO, said in a press release.
The Immunotronics platform is a non-invasive, non-implantable bioelectronics device that delivers a patented electromagnetic field, through coils or antennas, to a designated area of the body as a non-drug therapy.
It uses the naturally occurring electromagnetic pulses that control a variety of activities in our bodies, activating specific electrical field pathways with anti-inflammatory properties in tissues and organs.
Unlike other magnetic pulse devices, the Immonotronics platform uses time-varying electromagnetic field technology, producing waves designed to be intense enough to stimulate an immune response and able to penetrate deep within tissues.
These waves, called square waves because they go from low-intensity to high-intensity instantaneously instead of increasing smoothly, have been shown to be the most effective waveform to increase cell growth and the production of more than 200 growth factors and cytokines. Cytokines are proteins that activate the immune system.
“In a crowded space flooded with pharmaceutical-based treatments, our platform remains highly differentiated and we believe non-invasive electroceuticals targeting inflammation in vital organs are the future of medicine,” Collier said.
Nearly a quarter of the American population is estimated to have fat accumulated in the liver, which can lead to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a condition in which excess fat accumulates in the liver.
If left untreated, this disease can progress to a more severe manifestation, called NASH, characterized by liver inflammation. This disease affects 2 to 5 percent of Americans, particularly those with medical conditions such as obesity, diabetes and insulin resistance. NASH can eventually lead to liver cirrhosis and liver failure. There are no approved therapies for NASH patients, an unmet medical need in this patient population.
“NASH is an inflammatory disorder in the liver and we believe our technology represents a potentially novel and equally important, non-invasive and non-pharmaceutical treatment preventing and reversing inflammation in the liver, which can cause fibrosis leading to cirrhosis and ultimately end-stage liver disease or liver cancer,” Collier said.
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