The current trading session has witnessed a notable surge in the shares of Palisade Bio, Inc. (NASDAQ: PALI), with an impressive increase of 21.46%, elevating its value to $7.32. This substantial uptick in PALI stock price follows the successful completion of an analysis for the development of a new drug.
Today, Palisade Bio (PALI) has announced the successful conclusion of its analysis assessing the impact of bioactivated PALI-2108 on TNF-α production in a whole blood (WB) assay. PALI-2108, an orally administered, locally acting, colon-specific phosphodiesterase-4 (PDE4) inhibitor prodrug developed by Palisade, targets patients afflicted with UC.
The obtained data fortifies Palisade Bio's confidence in the robust anti-inflammatory capabilities of PALI-2108 in managing UC. The superior efficacy of PALI-2108, evidenced by its lower half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) compared to the approved PDE4 inhibitor apremilast, underscores its potential as an advanced therapeutic option for inflammatory bowel disease patients.
This comprehensive study involved WB samples from 14 clinically healthy adults, comprising five women and nine men. Twelve samples meeting the inclusion criteria were utilized for TNF-α measurement and IC50 value calculation. Donor whole blood underwent treatment with varied concentrations of PALI-2108 and two control compounds known for inhibiting the PDE4 pro-inflammatory pathway, subsequently being challenged with the pro-inflammatory molecule lipopolysaccharide (LPS).
Anti-inflammatory potency was determined by computing IC50 values for TNF-α inhibition. Results from the study showcased the efficacy of PALI-2108 in inhibiting LPS-induced TNF-α production in this ex-vivo peripheral whole blood assay. Pretreatment of human whole blood samples with bioactivated PALI-2108 led to a significant reduction in LPS-induced TNF-α production compared to non-pretreated samples.
The study was conducted in collaboration with Paraza Pharma, Inc., headquartered in Montreal, QC. Palisade Bio's exceptional operational performance is propelling the clinical advancement of PALI-2108 towards its first-in-human study, slated to commence later this year. Palisade Bio remains dedicated to advancing its innovative research endeavors aimed at enhancing the quality of life for UC patients and those affected by other inflammatory conditions.