Imara

Imara is developing new therapies for sickle cell disease.

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Imara is developing new therapies for sickle cell disease.

Imara Inc. is Cydan’s second orphan drug company, launched with $31M in financing in April 2016. Imara is developing IMR-687, a disease-modifying therapy for the treatment of sickle cell disease and other hemoglobinopathies. IMR-687 is an orally-administered, highly potent and selective phosphodiesterase 9 inhibitor (PDE9i) developed to treat the underlying causes of the pathology of sickle cell disease, a condition characterized by sickling of red blood cells and the occlusion or blockage of small blood vessels by the rigid, sickle-shaped red blood cells. Pre-clinical data shows IMR-687 reduces the sickling of red blood cells, adhesion of white blood cells to endothelial cells and blood vessel occlusion. IMR-687 also demonstrates a robust safety profile.

IMR-687 has completed a phase 1 human clinical trial and is in a multinational phase 2 study in adults with sickle cell disease. For information visit https://clinicaltrials.gov

For more information visit www.imaratx.com

About Sickle Cell Disease

Sickle cell disease is a rare, genetically inherited condition which affects hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that transports oxygen throughout the body. Sickle cell disease is a multi- organ disease afflicting more than 160,000 individuals in the United States and Europe, and many more in Africa and Asia. Due to the sickling of the red blood cells, and activation of immune cells and the blood vessel endothelial lining, patients bear the burden a multitude of pathologies from this disease. At the basis of many of these symptoms is occlusion or blockage of vessels in micro-capillary beds. As a result of this pathology, patients experience repeated episodes of vaso-occlusive crisis or VOC, acute chest syndrome or ACS, damage to other organs including the liver, spleen, kidney and the brain.