Huitai successfully held the company's first idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) expert Academic conference in Chengdu High-tech Zone, on November 14, 2018. The guests were top clinical experts in the field of IPF from China and the United States, the expert consultant team of the company and the R&D and management team members of the OT10 project.

The OT10 project of the Huitai is a national first-class peptide drug research and development project for the prevention and treatment of IPF. IPF is a fibrotic interstitial lung disease of unknown cause. The patients with IPF often present progressive aggravation of dyspnea, until the death of pulmonary failure, and the average survival time is only 2.8 years. The mortality of IPF is higher than most tumors. At present, there are only Nintedanib (BI) and pirfenidone (Roche) can treat IPF. Both of them are conditional recommendations in IPF International Guidelines. But they are only used to delay the decline of pulmonary function, not effectively stop the progression of fibrosis, and have no significant improvement in mortality.

The expert consultants and major researchers of the company together reviewed the R&D process of the company's OT10 project with top clinical experts. In addition, the basis for the establishment of the project, the confirmation of effective ingredients, the targets and mechanisms of drug action, the latest preclinical research progress and achievements, the development of new technologies, the application in preclinical research, and the future development plan were comprehensively and meticulously displayed. Experts participating in the conference highly praised the topic selection and project approval of OT10 project, and unanimously evaluated that the pharmacodynamic experimental data were solid and reliable. They fully affirmed that the pharmacodynamic research of OT10 project was at the leading level of preclinical research of IPF in the world. At the same time, they expressed their full of confidence and expectation for the clinical research prospect of OT10 project.    

Experts participating in the conference shared the typical clinical cases and clinical trial experiences of IPF in China and the United States and provided guidance suggestions on the dosage, route, and selection of clinical trial patients and test endpoint indicators of the research products. After the conference, American experts visited the company and discussed with the main researchers on the OT10 project again. They introduced the detail of diagnosis and the problems of treatment from IPF in the United States, as well as the most popular targets and drugs that have ever been researched or discontinued in the world in the past 20 years. They also shared their experience in clinical trials.

American IPF clinicians and huitai principal researchers

This conference showed the latest research results and new drug successful R&D potential of OT10 project, which laid the foundation to enter clinical research. We firmly believe that in the joint efforts of all Huitai staff and experts in the field, OT10 polypeptide will eventually develop into a safe and effective innovative drug that truly satisfy the clinical needs of pulmonary fibrosis treatment, and will benefit IPF patients all over the world.

Introduction of American experts attending the conference:

Dr. Kevin K. Brown, the chest physician, the professor at The University of Colorado, vice president of Clinical Affairs for Physicians in National Jewish Health, has 34 years of experience in interstitial lung disease research and clinical treatment. He has not only participated in the clinical trials of new drugs in the United States, for example, nintedanib and pirfenidone but also participated in the formulation of IPF diagnosis and treatment standards.

Dr. Mary Beth Scholand, the chest physician, the professor at The University of Utah, the director of the Interstitial Lung Disease Clinic, has 28 years of experience in interstitial lung disease research and clinical treatment. She has been committed to the study of the mechanism of pulmonary fibrosis and has participated in IPF clinical trials in the United States as a major researcher many times.