Do NOX enzymes play a pivotal role in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF)? This is the question researchers hope to answer with a newly funded research program evaluating the role of NOX enzymes.

Genkyotex, a company focused on developing therapies for chronic diseases, recently announced that the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded an $8.9 million grant to Victor Thannickal, MD,  professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), to create an academic consortium to lead the multi-year research program.

The central investigative component of the program will be a 24-week Phase 2 clinical trial of the company’s lead product candidate, GKT831, in patients with IPF.

The Phase 2 trial will be a placebo-controlled, double-blind study to investigate the effectiveness and safety of oral GKT831 in patients with IPF receiving current standard of care treatments. The trial will recruit 60 patients and will begin enrollment during in 2019.