DILIsym Services Inc., a Simulations Plus company (Nasdaq:SLP) and a leading provider of simulation and modeling software for pharmaceutical safety and efficacy, today announced that it is initiating development of IPFsym™, QSP (quantitative systems pharmacology) modeling software that will provide the ability to predict the efficacy of drugs being developed to treat idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The development of IPFsym is being sponsored by a large pharmaceutical company partner for $2.7 million, and it will be widely available via licensing and consulting for the broader pharmaceutical industry upon completion.
Dr. Scott Q Siler, chief scientific officer of DILIsym Services, said: “IPF is a fatal lung disease that is characterized by a progressive loss of lung function. Genetic and environmental factors compromise the epithelial cells of the lung, leading to pulmonary fibrosis over time. DILIsym Services is leveraging our experience in modeling liver fibrosis in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease with NAFLDsym® to simulate lung fibrosis and other aspects of IPF. There is substantial effort within the pharmaceutical industry to develop effective treatments for IPF, and we believe predictions with QSP modeling software like IPFsym will make the clinical development process more efficient.”
IPFsym will include key pathophysiologic mechanisms and clinical aspects of IPF, such as lung fibrosis, alveolar epithelial injury, pulmonary fibrosis, and test of lung function (e.g., forced vital capacity–FVC). IPFsym will also include the ability to simulate disease progression and inter-patient variability in pathophysiologic and clinical characteristics with SimPops®.
Shawn O’Connor, chief executive officer of Simulations Plus, DILIsym’s parent company, added: “The sponsored development of IPFsym will provide a valuable predictive modeling and simulation tool that can be used to improve the cost and efficiency of drug development and, importantly, positively support decision making that can directly impact patient safety. This endeavor is another example of our leadership in QSP modeling, including the ability to predict both the efficacy and safety of drugs. Moreover, we are excited that this effort will also include expansion of our flagship PBPK modeling software, GastroPlus, to improve the predictions of compound exposure upon inhalation of drugs.”
IPFsym will be available for licensing and consulting services, as is the case with DILIsym Services’ other QSP offerings like DILIsym and NAFLDsym.