Our initial focus is on orphan autoimmune indications, particularly on developing small molecules for the treatment of systemic sclerosis. Our virtual screens have yielded novel antifibrotic agents that go beyond inhibiting disease progression to promoting tissue regeneration and repair in preclinical studies; their feasibility for other indications is being explored.
Our endeavor to accelerate the delivery of treatments to patients across the globe is supported by the well-established commercial market for orphan products that have a streamlined, expedited and cheaper regulatory approval process compared to regular medicines. For other indications, there is the added advantage that approval and market entry for a non-orphan indication are substantially facilitated following approval for an orphan indication on the same metabolic pathway.