Cereno Scientific announced that new preclinical data conclude that drug candidate CS585 provides a new option of activating the IP receptor to decrease platelet reactivity and could represent the first viable option for targeting the IP receptor on platelets for primary inhibition of thrombosis with a reduced risk of bleeding. The data was presented at the 65th ASH Annual Meeting & Exposition organized by the American Society of Hematology, in San Diego, US, on December 9-12, 2023. For the first time, a head-to-head comparison of CS585, a novel IP receptor agonist, was conducted with the FDA-approved IP receptor agonists selexipag and iloprost.

The compounds were assessed by direct comparison to elucidate potential differences in selectivity and sustained action. In contrast to the FDA-approved IP receptor agonists (iloprost and selexipag) which showed short-term protection from thrombosis in the laser induced cremaster thrombosis assay in mice, treatment with CS585 resulted in sustained inhibition of clot and fibrin formation in the same model up to 48 hours post-administration. The preclinical results with CS585 thus indicate a favorable profile for inhibiting platelet activation and clot formation and demonstrate a sustained duration of action in mice in the ability to inhibit platelet activation through multiple routes of administration.

Importantly, CS585 does not affect coagulation parameters and previous studies demonstrated no potential for increased bleeding in mouse models. Overall, CS585 provides a new option of activating the IP receptor to decrease platelet reactivity and could represent the first viable option for targeting the IP-receptor on platelets for primary inhibition of thrombosis with a reduced risk of bleeding. CS585 was also shown to be more selective for the IP receptor than selexipag and iloprost as determined by platelet aggregation and VASP phosphorylation.

The abstract presented at the 65th ASH Annual Meeting & Exposition is titled "CS585 Demonstrates Favorable Selectivity and Sustained In Vivo Action in Preventing Platelet Activation and Thrombosis Compared to Existing IP Receptor Agonists", and was authored by L. Stanger, P. Yalavarthi, S. Lambert, A. Rickenberg, K. Goerger and D. Gilmore at the Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, US; B. Dahlöf and N. Bergh at the University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden; and M. Holinstat at the Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, US. There is a growing body of evidence around drug candidate CS585 supporting favorable tolerability and efficacy in preclinical studies. Recently, the drug candidate was published in the top-tier journal color:Blood showing that CS585 is a highly potent and selective compound given both orally and intravenously and prevents thrombosis for up to 48 hours as observed in preclinical studies.