At Rigel Pharmaceuticals, our purpose is to discover, develop and provide novel small molecule drugs.
In particular, we are focused on hematologic disorders, cancer and rare immune diseases. We see great opportunity to help patients who have diseases where few or no approved treatment options exist.
The company’s first FDA approved product is TAVALISSE® (fostamatinib disodium hexahydrate) tablets*, the only oral spleen tyrosine kinase (SYK) inhibitor for the treatment of adult patients with chronic immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) who have had an insufficient response to a previous treatment. ITP is a rare autoimmune disease where the body’s own immune system attacks and destroys platelets in the blood.
TAVALISSE is also commercially available in Europe (TAVLESSE) and Canada (TAVALISSE) for the treatment of chronic immune thrombocytopenia in adult patients.
Fostamatinib is currently being studied in a Phase 3 clinical trial (NCT03764618) for the treatment of warm antibody autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA); a Phase 3 clinical trial (NCT04629703) for the treatment of hospitalized high-risk patients with COVID-19; an NIH/NHLBI-sponsored Phase 3 clinical trial (NCT04924660) for the treatment of COVID-19 in hospitalized patients; and a Phase 2 clinical trial (NCT04581954) for the treatment of COVID-19 patients being conducted by Imperial College London. In addition, fostamatinib was evaluated in an NIH/NHLBI-sponsored Phase 2 clinical trial for the treatment of hospitalized patients with COVID-19. Results from this study were published in the peer-reviewed journal, Clinical Infectious Diseases.
Our other clinical programs include an interleukin receptor-associated kinase (IRAK) inhibitor program and a receptor-interacting serine/threonine-protein kinase (RIPK) inhibitor program. Rigel recently entered into a collaboration with Lilly to develop Rigel’s RIPK1 inhibitors in immunological and neurodegenerative diseases.
In addition, Rigel has an extensive portfolio of investigational agents being developed with our other partners. These products are focused on the inhibition of select signaling pathways, including Axl tyrosine kinase (AXL) and murine double minute 2 (MDM2). Through strategic partnerships and collaborations, we are able to take advantage of additional experience and resources, while benefiting from the potential success of these future products, both through milestone payments and royalties.
* Please see the TAVALISSE full prescribing information