A Cincinnati startup developing treatments for hypertension and other cardio-renal diseases has dosed its first patient in a new clinical trial fueled by a recent $143 million fundraise.
Madisonville-based CinCor Pharma, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, dosed its first patient Thursday in HALO, a phase 2 clinical trial for its lead asset, CIN-107, in patients with uncontrolled hypertension and elevated plasma aldosterone levels.
The double-blind, placebo-controlled, multi-center study will evaluate the efficacy and safety of CIN-107 after eight weeks of treatment. Overall, CinCor said it plans to enroll 250 patients across 70 sites in the U.S. The first patient was dosed at a study site in Lincoln, Calif.
HALO is one of several clinical trials either underway or planned as part of the company’s recent $143 million Series B, announced in October. CinCor said the funds would enable the completion of an ongoing phase 2 clinical trial in patients with resistant hypertension, called BrigHtn, and the ongoing phase 2 trial in hypertensive individuals with primary aldosteronism.
In addition, CinCor plans to study CIN-107’s impact on blood pressure and kidney function in patients with chronic kidney disease.
Specifically, HALO is testing the hypothesis that hypertensive patients with higher levels of circulating aldosterone, a hormone that regulates salt and water in the body, may achieve substantial blood pressure reductions when dosed with CIN-107, Dr. Mason Freeman, executive vice president of clinical development at CinCor, said.
Elevated levels of aldosterone stimulate salt and water retention, which can result in elevated blood pressure.
“This trial, along with our ongoing phase 2 BrigHtn clinical trial, (is) intended to generate data that we believe could position CIN-107 as a differentiated and important treatment option for patients who struggle to lower their blood pressure to recommended levels,” Freeman said in a release.
CinCor, founded in 2018, has raised $193 million to date, positioning the company as one of the region’s best-funded startups. Its investors include General Atlantic, a New York City-headquartered growth equity firm, Perceptive Advisors, California-based Sofinnova Investments, Sofinnova Partners, 5AM Ventures and CinRx, among others.
CinCor’s Cincinnati operation has eight dedicated employees, and the company added an office in Boston following CEO Marc de Garidel’s hire this year.
