Novel Targets for Preterm Labour

New Market Opportunity
Over 4 million births occur annually in the US, between 0.5-1 million women are treated annually with tocolytic drugs to halt early preterm labour contractions, while annual tocolytic drug sales of in the USA are estimated at up to $500 million. With over 8 million births in Europe as a whole, an estimated total of 2-3 million patients are treated annually for preterm labour in these two major global markets. This represents a total tocolytic therapeutic market of well over €1 billion annually between the US and Europe. There is an unmet need for safe, effective and specific tocolytic agents, and the validation of novel therapeutic molecules to prevent preterm labour, which meets these needs, and that can secure FDA approval, will ensure that any such products capture a major proportion of the preterm labour treatment market.

Background
Preterm labour is the major cause of perinatal mortality and morbidity in obstetric practice, accounting for 8- 12% of all births in developed countries, and associated with over 70% of infant mortalities. Premature babies are more likely to face multiple health problems following delivery, require prolonged periods of hospitalisation in the neonatal ICU, and have a higher than normal risk of handicap, including physical and mental handicap. Premature birth is also associated with a significantly higher rate of chronic health problems in adulthood, including higher risk of cardiovascular and lung diseases, vision and hearing loss, and neurosensory defects such as blindness, deafness, and cerebral palsy.

Technology Description
The inventors have identified novel uterine myometrial muscle specific markers which have been shown to be differentially expressed in labouring and non-labouring pregnant women. These markers have the potential to be used as accurate diagnosic markers used alone or in combination to identify women at risk of preterm labour. Additionally, candidate markers could be developed as a safe tocolytic treatment which will be specific for the uterine smooth muscle avoiding the side-effects currently observed with existing tocolytic drugs on the market. Ongoing research is focussed on the evaluation of novel candidate uterine-specific target molecules for therapeutic intervention in preterm labour and identification of modulators of these targets for their pharmacological effect on myometrial contractility.

Principal Investigator Prof Terry Smith, NUI, Galway.

Competitive Advantage
Current, so-called tocolytic therapies to inhibit preterm labour remain targeted at modulating uterine contractions. In the past, beta-mimetic agents, such as terbutaline or ritodrine, were the agents of choice, but their usefulness has been limited by cardiovascular sideeffects associated including heart palpitations. Currently used tocolytic agents, such as magnesium sulphate and indomethacin, appear to be as efficacious as their earlier counterparts but are also associated with maternal, foetal and neonateal toxicity. NUI Galway’s approach is to develop a therapy tocolytic agent which would be highly specific for uterine smooth muscle, with minimal side effects for both mother and neonate.

IP Status
A patent application has been filed by NUI Galway to protect the markers identified and their uses relating to pre-term labour prediction and prevention

Type of Business Sought
NUI, Galway are interested in entering into licensing agreements and partnerships to develop this IP in both predicting of preterm birth and advancement on therapies for preterm labour.

Type of Offer: Licensing



« More Pharmaceutical Patents
« More Medical Patents

---