Clinical Development

ONX 0914 is an immunoproteasome inhibitor with potential treatment applications in autoimmune disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease and lupus.

While the majority of cell types in the body express the standard form of the proteasome (constitutive proteasome), cells of the immune system express the immunoproteasome, a unique form of the proteasome.  An immunoproteasome-specific inhibitor may have the potential to selectively target proteasome function in immune cells while exhibiting minimal effects on the proteasome in other tissues.  ONX 0914 was designed to be a potent inhibitor of the immunoproteasome with minimal cross-reactivity for the constitutive proteasome.  Recent evidence suggests that the immunoproteasome regulates the production of several inflammatory cytokines, including Tumor Necrosis Factor-α (TNF-α), Interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-17, and IL-23.  In preclinical models of rhematoid arthritis and lupus, ONX 0914 blocked progression of these diseases at well-tolerated doses.  Preclinical studies are underway to evaluate the potential of ONX 0914 in the treatment of a range of autoimmune disorders.