IMARA Inc.

• US
• IMARA Inc.
• Health-Care

IMRA

We are a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing and commercializing novel therapeutics to treat patients suffering from rare inherited genetic disorders of hemoglobin, known as hemoglobinopathies. Our pipeline is built on the differentiated therapeutic potential of our initial product candidate, IMR-687, which is an oral, once-a-day, potentially disease-modifying treatment for sickle cell disease, or SCD, and b-thalassemia. IMR-687 is a highly selective, potent small molecule inhibitor of phosphodiesterase-9, or PDE9, that has a multimodal mechanism of action that acts primarily on red blood cells, or RBCs, and has the potential to act on white blood cells, or WBCs, adhesion mediators and other cell types that are implicated in these disorders. We are conducting a Phase 2a clinical trial of IMR-687 in adult patients with SCD. In pre-specified interim analyses from this trial, we observed proof of concept clinical activity and IMR-687 was reported to be well tolerated. We have recently completed enrollment and expect to report top-line data from the Phase 2a trial in the fourth quarter of 2020.

Based on the Phase 2a interim results, we are advancing IMR-687 and intend to initiate a Phase 2b clinical trial for the treatment of patients with SCD and a Phase 2b clinical trial for the treatment of patients with b-thalassemia, each in the first half of 2020, and expect to report interim data from each of these planned trials in the first half of 2021. Our goal is to leverage IMR-687’s differentiated mechanism of action, its ease of administration and stable drug properties to potentially serve a broad range of patients suffering from hemoglobinopathies around the world, including those in underserved regions.

Hemoglobinopathies are a diverse range of rare inherited genetic disorders in which there is abnormal production or absence of hemoglobin, the iron-containing protein in RBCs responsible for transporting oxygen in the blood. Hemoglobinopathies can be broadly categorized into two groups. The first group of hemoglobinopathies, which includes SCD, results from structural abnormalities in hemoglobin that cause RBCs to become inflexible and elongated, ultimately blocking blood flow to organs, which can lead to vaso-occlusive crises, or VOCs. SCD is characterized by debilitating pain, progressive multi-organ damage and early death.

The second group of hemoglobinopathies, which includes b-thalassemia, results from decreased or absent production of hemoglobin, thereby producing smaller, paler RBCs that do not deliver adequate oxygen to vital tissues. b-thalassemia is often grouped into two subsets: patients who are non-transfusion dependent, or NTDT, or patients who are transfusion dependent, or TDT. If left untreated, b-thalassemia causes severe anemia, splenomegaly, skeletal abnormalities, organ failure and early death. Both groups of hemoglobinopathies share similar pathophysiology and have limited treatment options, which results in a significant unmet medical need for patients.

The global prevalence of SCD and b-thalassemia are estimated to be approximately 4.4 million and 288,000 patients, respectively. SCD and ß-thalassemia are both designated as rare diseases in the United States and the European Union. For SCD, prevalence is estimated to be approximately 100,000 patients in the United States and 134,000 patients in the European Union. For b-thalassemia, total combined prevalence in the United States and the European Union is estimated to be approximately 19,000 patients. 

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