Core Technologies
IMPACS
The IMPACS™ (Inhibitors of Multiple Proteases and CytokineS) family of compounds is one of the core technologies proprietary to CollaGenex Pharmaceuticals. These compounds have the potential for multiple therapeutic uses, primarily in the treatment of diseases associated with inflammation. In general, diseases with inflammatory components are difficult to treat. The inflammatory cascade is complex with multiple overlapping and redundant mediators and is not amenable to treatment with agents that interfere with a single target. If a single mediator is blocked, another will likely intervene, maintaining the inflammatory response.
The IMPACS family includes orally-available anti-inflammatory compounds that have been shown to inhibit several mediators associated with the inflammatory process simultaneously.
The IMPACS compounds have been shown to inhibit tissue destructive enzymes such as elastase and matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) including MMP-1, MMP 2, MMP-9 and MMP-13 in numerous cell lines, tissues and in vivo models. In addition, the IMPACS interfere with the processing and release of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF- , IL-6 and IL-8 and have been shown to stimulate the production of the anti-inflammatory cytokine, IL-10. Furthermore, the IMPACS have been shown to inhibit the expression of other mediators of inflammation including inducible nitric oxide synthase and the production of nitric oxide as well as interfere with the processing of COX-2 and the production of PGE2. These complementary anti-inflammatory activities provide a solid foundation for the use of the IMPACS in the treatment of a broad-range of clinical disorders.
Interestingly, many diverse disorders, such as acne, rosacea, cardiovascular disease, arthritis and some cancers, present clinically with quite different pathologies, but actually share a common underlying inflammatory component that involves many of the same mediators that the IMPACS inhibit.
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