inflammatory disease and fIBROSIS

Fibrosis, as a result of chronic inflammatory disease, is a very significant area of unmet medical need.

Kidney Disease

The overall rate of chronic kidney disease in the US is approximately 9% or 27 million. Fewer than 1 in 10 Americans with poor kidney function are aware of their weak or failing kidneys.

Liver Fibrosis

Worldwide, 170 million people are infected with chronic hepatitis C infection. 1.4 million deaths per year are attributed to chronic liver disease.. Removal of the cause of inflammation has some impact on the progression of fibrosis but is only effective for a small proportion of patients (10-40%).Viral, (B&C) hepatitis, alcoholic liver disease and NASH are major causes of liver inflammation and fibrosis. Renal fibrosis is a component of the progression to ESRD leading to dialysis and transplant. Radiation and chemotherapy for cancer also contribute to fibrosis in a number of organs including the lung and bowel.

Pulmonary Fibrosis

There are 5 million people worldwide that are affected by pulmonary fibrosis. In the US,  there are over 200,000 patients with pulmonary fibrosis. More than 40,000 deaths per year are attributed to this disease.

Atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis is a major cause of morbidity and mortality and while the pathogenesis is multifactorial the components of inflammation and fibrosis are major drivers of disease progression.

Atherosclerosis is a major contributing factor in coronary heart disease (CHD), the leading cause of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.  CHD affects over 13 million people in the US, and causes an estimated 500,000 deaths each year.