NEW YORK– Olatec Therapeutics, Inc., a leader in the developing class of selective NLRP3 inhibitors, today announced that long-time collaborator and advisor, Prof. Dr. Marc Donath, has joined the Company’s Clinical Advisory Board (CAB). Dr. Donath, a renowned immuno-endocrinologist, has been recently elected as Medical Director of the Diabetes Centre at the University Hospital Montreal, Canada and is Chief Physician in Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism at the University of Basel, Switzerland.
Dr. Donath is globally recognized for his pioneering contributions to immunometabolism, particularly his discovery of the inflammatory process underlying type 2 diabetes (T2D). In addition, he has made numerous contributions to the concept that the innate immune system is an integral component in the regulation of metabolism, also known as immunometabolism.
Prof. Dr. Donath stated that, “I am honored to join Olatec’s CAB and expand my long-time collaboration with the Company. Their cutting-edge clinical research with their specific NLRP3 inhibitor, dapansutrile, has the potential to address a large unmet need for an effective and convenient oral treatment of T2D that goes beyond glycemic control by addressing the underlying inflammatory component of the disease and its cardiometabolic complications.”
Dr. Donath’s scientific and clinical conviction is that the modulation of the innate immune system with an anti-inflammatory, such as dapansutrile, has the potential to improve overall metabolic health and reduce cardiovascular risk in patients with T2D. Beginning with his input on the design of Olatec’s heart failure trial, Olatec captured the first ever clinical data showing that targeting NLRP3 with dapansutrile resulted in significant reductions in fasting glucose in patients with T2D. This ground-breaking human data led to the selection of dapansutrile to be studied in the current clinical trial called DAPAN-DIA, as well as obtaining funding from the INTERCEPT-T2D initiative by the European Union under their Horizon Europe Programme (GA No 101095433). Support is also being provided by the Swiss Government. DAPAN-DIA is a Phase 2 randomized targeting to enroll up to 300 patients with T2D mellitus and diabetes-related complications. DAPAN-DIA aims to evaluate dapansutrile’s ability to improve glycemic control, reduce systemic inflammation, and lower cardiometabolic risks, including weight loss. It represents the first T2D clinical trial of a selective NLRP3 inhibitor.
Reflecting on Prof. Dr. Donath’s appointment, Olatec’s CEO & Chairman, Damaris B. Skouras said: “We welcome Marc on our CAB and are looking forward to his expanded collaboration and continued invaluable contributions to the advancement of dapansutrile in T2D and other chronic metabolic diseases.”
