Small Molecule MIF Inhibitors for the Treatment of Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Inventor(s): Spencer Knapp and Achyutharao Sidduri

Awarded: July 2021

Summary:

The currently approved medications for IBD treatment, a multi-billion-dollar market, include anti-inflammatories such as corticosteroids, and immune system suppressors, including injectable anti-TNF antibodies such as Humira. These medications suffer from side effects, high cost, and unreliable efficacy. There is a pressing need for safe, effective, oral small molecules that operate by orthogonal mechanisms. Our macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) inhibitors (MW ~ 400) reduce inflammation-associated cytokines in blood cell and mouse assays. They simultaneously exhibit promising drug likeness properties including oral availability, permeability, metabolic stability, and colon localization, and are stable, low cost, and non-toxic. New MIF inhibitors may have additional potential applications in treating cytokine storm afflictions, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and cancer.

Market Applications:

• Ulcerative colitis
• Crohn’s disease
• Cytokine storm