GALT - Galectin Therapeutics to Present Update on its Belapectin Liver Cirrhosis Program at the 20th Edition of Discovery on Target meeting in Boston September 25-28 2023 | Benzinga
NORCROSS, Ga., Sept. 26, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Galectin Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:GALT), the leading developer of therapeutics that target galectin-3, today announced it will participate in the 20th edition of the Discovery on Target meeting, the industry's preeminent event on Novel Drug Targets and Technologies. The Company will present an update on its belapectin liver cirrhosis program during the Fibrosis and Inflammation session. The presentation, titled "Targeting Activated Macrophages to Improve Liver Cirrhosis: The Discovery and Clinical Translation of Belapectin," will take place Wednesday, September 27, at 2:25 PM EDT and will be delivered by Dr. Pol F. Boudes, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of Galectin Therapeutics.
Boudes commented: "The role of activated macrophages in the establishment and progression of liver cirrhosis is predominant1. These cells, when activated, invade the liver, and produce galectin-3, a pro-inflammatory and pro-fibrotic molecule. Belapectin is a galectin-3 inhibitor that, thanks to its unique molecular structure, is captured by activated macrophages and can inhibit galectin-3 at its site of production. Liver cirrhosis has been a field that has been neglected for far too long by drug developers and the Discovery on Target meeting is an excellent opportunity to familiarize a large audience to the consequences of liver cirrhosis and portal hypertension and highlight the opportunity our belapectin program offers for patients affected by this severe disease."
1 Ramachandran, et al. Single-cell technologies in hepatology: new insights into liver biology and disease pathogenesis. Nature Reviews Gastroenterology and Hepatology 2020;17:457-472.
About Belapectin
Belapectin is a complex carbohydrate drug that targets galectin-3, a critical protein in the pathogenesis of NASH/MASH and fibrosis. Galectin-3 plays a major role in diseases that involve scarring of organs, including fibrotic disorders of the liver, lung, kidney, heart and vascular system. Belapectin binds to galectin-3 and disrupts its function. Preclinical data in animals have shown that belapectin has robust treatment effects in reversing liver fibrosis and cirrhosis. A Phase 2 study showed belapectin may prevent the development of esophageal varices in NASH cirrhosis, and these results provide the basis for the conduct of the NAVIGATE trial. The NAVIGATE trial (www.NAVIGATEnash.com), titled, "A Seamless Adaptive Phase 2b/3, Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-controlled Multicenter, International Study Evaluating the Efficacy and Safety of Belapectin (GR-MD-02) for the Prevention ...