Riptide Addresses International Workshop on Scleroderma Research

July 28, 2019

CAMBRIDGE, UK – Dr. Henry Lopez, Executive Vice President of Riptide Bioscience, today addressed the International Workshop on Scleroderma Research (IWSR). The Workshop, co-sponsored by the University of Pittsburgh and University College London, is the largest international meeting devoted to pathogenic mechanisms in systemic scleroderma (SSc).

Riptide Bioscience was one of two biotech companies invited to present its preclinical results to the 250 scleroderma researchers at IWSR.

Dr. Lopez noted that Riptide has worked for several years in collaboration with a research team from the University of London / Royal Free Hospital. Dr. Lopez presented findings from UCL researchers showing high levels of M2 / fibrosis-inducing macrophages in the lesional fluid of scleroderma patients. In co-cultures of human macrophages and fibroblasts, drug candidate RP832c reduced collagen expression in a dose-dependent manner. Dr. Lopez also shared in vivo results of the subcutaneous application of RP832c in animal models, showing substantially reduced skin fibrosis.

Dr. Richard Stratton, leader of the UCL team, commented, “The results of this collaboration strongly suggest that RP832c is a potentially important therapeutic in the treatment of scleroderma, for which few treatment options are presently available. We are very interested in moving this drug candidate to clinical trial at our Royal Free Hospital facility.”

Riptide Bioscience, Inc., with laboratories in Vallejo, California, maintains an intensive program of research into peptide-based therapeutics. Contact: info@riptidebio.com