Cyclarity Therapeutics, Inc, a biotech developing drugs that can prevent common age-related conditions such as atherosclerosis, heart attack and stroke, has announced its newly-formed Clinical Advisory Board.

Cyclarity aims to treat the underlying causes of age-related disease by delivering affordable therapy for the world’s number one killer – cardiovascular disease. Its novel cyclodextrin targets atherosclerosis, removing arterial plaque by clearing the non-degradable oxidised cholesterol that accumulates within cells in the arterial walls. Reducing and preventing atherosclerosis will reduce incidences of primary coronary artery disease, and associated cardiovascular diseases.

The new Clinical Advisory Board will guide the clinical development of Cyclarity’s cyclodextrin drug candidate UDP-003; given the drug is formulated for the treatment and prevention of atherosclerosis, it is no surprise that the new Board includes three eminent cardiologists:

• Dr Prediman K Shah, Director of Inpatient Cardiology and the Coronary Care Unit at Cedars-Sinai Hospital, Founder and Director of the Oppenheimer Atherosclerosis Research Center at Cedars-Sinai Hospital.
• Dr Michael E Farkouh, Associate Dean for Research and Clinical Trials and Professor of Cardiology at Cedars-Sinai Hospital.
• Dr Stephen Nicholls, Program Director of MonashHeart, Intensive Care and Victorian Heart Hospital, Monash Health, as well as Director of the Monash Victorian Heart Institute and Professor of Cardiology at Monash University.

Mike Kope, Corporate Affairs CEO of Cyclarity, said: “It’s an honor to have Drs Nicholls, Farkouh and Shah working with us to provide strategic guidance over the preparation and execution of our clinical program.”

Cyclarity expects to conduct the UDP-003 Phase 1 trial under the direction of Dr Nicholls and VHH, and is exploring potential lead site and primary PI roles with Drs Farkouh and Shah at Cedars-Sinai.

“We are especially encouraged by the interest of this distinguished Board not only in our drug candidate, but in the novel target we are addressing,” noted Matthew O’Connor, Cyclarity’s Scientific Affairs CEO. “Their guidance will provide immeasurable assistance to our evaluation of outcomes and our examination of oxidized cholesterols as causative biomarkers of atherosclerosis.”