Certa Therapeutics is focused on the emerging field of medical science which uses genetic information to identify which patients will best respond to a specific treatment, commonly referred to as precision medicine.
Certa is currently conducting a Phase 2 clinical study in diffuse systemic sclerosis (SSc), a rare autoimmune disease, causing inflammation and fibrosis (scarring/hardening) of the skin and other organs. There is a clear need for new treatments in this indication as currently approved treatments are largely ineffective and have significant side-effects.
In addition, Certa Therapeutics is planning Phase 2 studies targeting chronic kidney disease (CKD) and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), where fibrosis of the kidney leads to kidney failure and ultimately dialysis or kidney transplantation.
There are currently no treatments available for kidney fibrosis and given the enormous cost of dialysis and kidney transplants to the healthcare system, finding an effective treatment for these patients remains one of the global healthcare industry’s largest unmet needs. Certa will use genetic analysis to identify those patients that are most likely to benefit from the therapy, addressing a market worth around US$5 billion per annum.
Certa plans to progress its anti-fibrotic drug development to mid-stage clinical trials, which could provide benefit in a wide variety of disease states characterised by an inflammatory and fibrotic progression, such as SSc, CKD and FSGS.
