Post by Biomed Valley Discoveries

The Erdheim-Chester Disease Global Alliance Annual International Medical Symposium starts today! The conference is being held at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), one of the sites participating in a Phase 2 clinical study to evaluate ulixertinib – our investigational, first-in-class ERK 1/2 inhibitor – as a potential treatment for histiocytosis. Erdheim-Chester Disease (ECD) is one of the diseases known as histiocytosis, which are characterized by an abnormal proliferation of white blood cells called histiocytes. The proliferating histiocytes can cause tumors throughout the body, fractures and bone lesions, mental deterioration, lung problems, hormonal abnormalities, and many other systemic symptoms. The MAPK signaling pathway – which comprises a sequential cascade of four key signaling nodes: RAS, RAF, MEK, and ERK – is implicated in many histiocytosis cases. There are limitations to existing MAPK pathway treatments, including frequent emergence of resistance to treatment. Direct inhibition of ERK, the final node of the MAPK pathway, represents an important potential strategy to overcome these challenges and limitations. Ulixertinib has been provided via compassionate use to patients with histiocytosis who were not responding to other therapeutic approaches. The ongoing Phase 2 clinical study of ulixertinib in histiocytosis was initiated based in part on the clinical benefits observed in these cases to further explore possible benefit in this patient population. Learn more about the clinical study: https://lnkd.in/eyn_zjB4 #Histiocytosis #Histio #CancerResearch #CompassionateUse #Oncology #ErdheimChesterDisease