Satellos Bioscience Inc. announced additional results from further preclinical studies using the Company's lead drug candidate SAT-3153. The company has designed SAT-3153 to be a selective inhibitor of a protein kinase (code named K9) which it identified as a potential drug target to modulate polarity in muscle stem cells. On January 3, 2023, the company indicated that results from preclinical ADME, PK and in vivo studies led to designation of SAT-3153 as its lead pre-IND drug development candidate (DC) for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (Duchenne).

In a subsequent study with SAT-3153, in an acute injury model intended to determine if drug is acting rapidly on mechanism, Mdx mice treated with SAT-3153 displayed a statistically significant effect on polarity through new progenitor muscle cell formation vs placebo controls (n=5 per group), after one week. In a further in vivo study, Mdx mice treated with SAT-3153 four times per week vs placebo controls (n=8 per group) showed a 19% increase in muscle force after two weeks. Additional preclinical studies have shown SAT-3153 to have no binding of the hERG channel (a key requirement to rule out possible cardiac toxicity), a plasma protein binding level of < 90% (indicating significant levels of free drug are available to initiate a therapeutic effect), and oral bioavailability.

The company asserts that a dysfunction in the normal process of stem cell polarity in response to muscle damage represents a previously unrecognized root cause of Duchenne. The goal of correcting polarity in Duchenne is to restore the body's innate ability to regenerate muscle in response to the ongoing damage experienced by people living with Duchenne. SAT-3153 has been designated by the company as its lead drug candidate and the company is pursuing pre-IND development activities.