Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a fibrosing interstitial lung disease that is characterized by progressive decline in lung function due to inflammatory and fibrotic changes of the lung parenchyma. This results in an average life expectancy for patients of only 3-5 years, resulting in the deaths of 40,000 patients each year in the US. There are only two FDA-approved drugs for IPF, pirfenidone and Nintedanib. While these drugs slow disease progression, they do not prevent or reverse symptoms or pathology, and they exhibit significant side effects in many patients. Even before the increasing number of COVID-19 survivors facing future fibrotic lung issues, IPF incidence and prevalence was increasing. Promising drugs are in development, but recent failures of clinical trials emphasize the need for additional therapeutic approaches.

A high content imaging screen was used to discover a drug that blocked TGFβ activity which is a key player in the promotion of fibrosis. OL-JC2 appeared efficacious in a variety of in vitro and in vivo assays of fibrosis, but oral bioavailability presented a problem. Oleolive Inc is developing an inhalation approach for the treatment of IPF; a direct route that will minimize systemic side effects.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common primary tumor of the CNS with limited treatment options and a poor clinical prognosis. Standard of care treatment, including surgical resection, radiation therapy and concurrent temozolomide (TMZ) treatment followed by adjuvant TMZ, produces a median survival in newly diagnosed GBM of ~15 months. Tumor recurrence happens due to therapy resistant tumor cells; therefore, therapeutic strategies that improve tumor cell sensitivity to chemotherapy are needed to improve patient outcomes. TROY (TNFRSF19), a member of the TNF receptor superfamily, has recently been discovered to impact GBM progression. Studies indicate that TROY represents a potential novel therapeutic target for GBM.

Oleolive Inc is developing a drug, OL-TL1, that targets TROY and works to sensitize GBM tumors to radiotherapy and temozolomide. We are currently performing IND enabling studies to position OL-TL1 for a phase 1 clinical trial.

We believe Alzheimer’s progression is driven by neuroinflammation, insulin resistance and metabolic changes impacting glucose and lipid metabolism. Oleolive is developing a drug, OL-003, discovered using computer technology that is a dual PPAR delta and PPAR gamma agonist with none of the side effects associated with thiazolidinediones like pioglitazone. Company research has demonstrated OL-003 is effective in multiple animal models of ADRD targeting neuroinflammation, insulin resistance as well as lowering phosphorylated Tau and levels of amyloid beta. It also has a strong safety profile and IND enabling research is currently being performed.

Blood loss in wounded warfighters is the number one cause of death from otherwise survivable trauma. Current approaches to treat wounded special operations warriors in austere environments include the use of frozen plasma (for coagulation) that needs to be thawed, a time-consuming approach where every minute is critical for survival. More recently powdered plasma, containing clotting factors that can be rapidly rehydrated before IV administration, has been implemented with some success. Oleolive has patented technology to prepare platelet-rich plasma powder (PRPP) predicted to be superior in preventing blood loss as compared to powdered plasma, since a main function of platelets is blood clotting. Our studies suggest it is efficacious and safe in relevant animal models. Oleolive has assembled a team of experts in animal models, hematology, military operations, lyophilization and biochemistry/cell biology to characterize PRPP. The goal is to prepare field compatible PRPP from special ops personnel before they engage in combat which would be carried on their person or the embedded medic to be administered (autologous) following trauma.