What We Do

MetrioPharm is a clinical-stage company at the forefront of developing safer and more effective treatments based on first-in-class self-regulating immunomodulators for inflammatory and infectious diseases. MetrioPharm has developed a platform of oral small molecule immune modulators that target the pathologically dysregulated (reprogrammed) mitochondrial metabolism in macrophages and other immune cells without being immunosuppressive. 

MP1032's Unique Self-Regulating Mechanism of Action

MetrioPharm's lead candidate MP1032 represents a radically new concept in anti-inflammatory and steroid-sparing therapy which will result in significantly fewer steroid-associated side effects. As a monotherapy, MP1032 normalizes the pathologically reprogrammed (cellular/mitochondrial) energy metabolism of inflammatory immune cells (e.g. macrophages). MP1032's unique, self-regulating mechanism of action makes it a first-in-class ROS scavenger (ROS = Reactive Oxygen Species) that reduces excessive ROS without interfering with other cell's physiological (normal) ROS levels, which are essential for cell signaling and other processes. MP1032 produces therapeutic effects similar to corticosteroids (cortisone-based therapeutics) - but without serious side effects. MP1032 has also shown a broad host-directed antiviral and antibacterial efficacy in preclinical studies.

Revolutionizing the Standard Steroid Therapy

MP1032 together with ultra-low-dose corticoids has the potential to replace the current standard of care high-dose corticosteroid (cortisone-based therapeutics) therapy - with increased efficacy and less side effects. MP1032 has demonstrated synergistic/supra-additive effects in combination with an ultra-low dose of corticosteroids that will create a new class of ‘super steroids’ which are more effective and have no serious side effects. For over 60 years, there have been no major advances in achieving such steroid sparing thereby reducing steroid specific side effects.

Initial Focus on Rare Diseases

MetrioPharm is currently focusing its development on rare diseases such as Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. In this indication, patients are treated for many years or decades with high-dose corticosteroids (cortisone-based therapeutics) as standard anti-inflammatory therapy, which typically leads to severe side effects.

Additional Potential in Various Other Indications

The development of these orphan indications is the fastest route to conditional marketing authorization for MP1032 from the EMA and accelerated approval from the FDA. The company can then use these approvals to rapidly expand into

  1. other orphan indications (Becker Muscular Dystrophy and other muscular dystrophy indications, Autoimmune Hepatitis etc.), and
  2. indications with large patient populations (Arthritis, Multiple Sclerosis, Psoriasis, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Sepsis) that are currently dominated by steroids and where there is significant unmet medical need for a truly steroid-sparing alternative.

Clinical and Pre-Clinical Evidence

MP1032 has demonstrated broad anti-inflammatory activity in three completed Phase IIa clinical proof-of-concept studies in Psoriasis and COVID-19 with a total of 234 patients treated with MP1032. In addition, MP1032 has shown strong efficacy data in preclinical in vivo studies in other inflammatory diseases such as Rheumatoid Arthritis, Multiple Sclerosis, Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, Sepsis and, recently ,Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. In addition, MP1032 has shown a broad host-directed antiviral and antibacterial efficacy in preclinical studies.