Kanagawa, Japan, February 29th, 2024, – SCOHIA PHARMA, Inc. (“SCOHIA”) announces that SCOHIA’s SCO-240, a Phase I program, has been selected as one of the ‘FY2024 Support Programs for Orphan Drug Prior to Designation’ of the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED) for further development in treating pediatric growth hormone deficiency (PGHD).
PGHD is a rare disorder in children resulting from inadequate secretion of growth hormone by the pituitary gland. This leads to low levels of growth hormone in the body, insufficient production of downstream signaling molecules needed for growth, and a subsequent failure to grow. Current treatment options are limited to injectable forms of recombinant human growth hormone.
SCOHIA PHARMA is developing SCO-240, a once-daily oral medication that provides an alternative to growth hormone injections. SCO-240 selectively antagonizes somatostatin receptor type 5 (SSTR5). In a Phase I single ascending dose study, SCO-240 induced robust growth hormone secretion without altering the levels of other pituitary hormones.
The AMED funding will be used to further advance the clinical development of SCO-240.
About SCOHIA PHARMA, Inc.:
SCOHIA PHARMA, Inc. is a drug discovery company focused on the discovery and development of new treatments addressing unmet medical needs with a high level of expertise in endocrine, cardiovascular, renal, and metabolic systems. For more information about SCOHIA PHARMA, Inc., please visit https://www.scohia.com/eng/