OUR TECHNOLOGY

At MAX BioPharma, we are developing medicinal applications of proprietary semi-synthetic oxysterol derivatives, derived from our platform technology, Oxysterol Therapeutics®. Oxysterols are oxidized derivatives of cholesterol that can be activators or inhibitors of specific cellular signaling pathways, including Hedgehog (Hh), transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β), and Toll-Like Receptor (TLR) pathways. Safe activators of cellular Hh signaling are useful in regenerative medicine to stimulate new bone formation in spine fusion, fracture healing, regeneration of bone defects, and osteoporosis. Safe and effective inhibitors of Hh and TGF-β signaling are needed in certain cancers, such as lung and pancreatic cancer, and in pathologic fibrosis in liver, kidney and lung. TLR signaling plays a major role in chronic inflammatory diseases including fibrosis, atherosclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, arthritis, cancer, and psoriatic arthritis among others. The company is developing an oxysterol-based investigational device, OxyFuse-133®, which contains Oxy133, a potent osteoinductive factor that stimulates bone formation by targeting mesenchymal stem cells and progenitors of osteoblasts, for spine fusion.

In addition, we have identified promising oxysterol-based drug candidates that can effectively inhibit the TGF-β and Hh signaling pathways with applications in oncology and fibrotic diseases, such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, kidney fibrosis and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), also known as metabolic dysfunction associated steatohepatitis (MASH), an advanced inflammatory form of fatty liver disease that can lead to liver failure and liver cancer. This newly identified class of oxysterols, exemplified by our lead compound Oxy210, was recently shown to inhibit NASH in a hyperlipidemic “humanized” mouse model (see publication here). In our research, we often start from naturally occurring oxysterols with a certain biological profile (e.g., anti-cancer or bone forming properties) and then examine structural changes to obtain new sterol derivatives of higher potency and with drug-like properties that can developed into therapeutic agents and devices. Currently, we focus on developing Oxy133 for spine fusion (see publication here), and Oxy210 for NASH (both supported by research grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH)). Additional opportunities based on oxysterols derived from our our Oxysterol Therapeutics® platform are in cancer (pancreatic and lung cancer), kidney and pulmonary fibrosis, and viral infections, including hepatitis B (HBV) and coronavirus (SARS‑CoV‑2). We strive to progress these opportunities by way of research collaborations with key opinion leaders in academia and industry and support from the NIH.