# Development of SP-A Derived Peptidomimetics for the Treatment of Asthma - Phase II

> **NIH NIH R42** · RAESEDO, LLC · 2022 · $1,955,594

## Abstract

Current treatments for asthma, while reducing exacerbations in a subset of patients by focusing on airway
inflammation, do not eliminate them. Asthma exacerbations are a significant cause of morbidity and
mortality in asthma as they can lead to airway injury, lung function decline and death. Exacerbations in
more severe asthmatics are of particular concern, as health care costs and lost productivity account for
$21 billion/year in US annual health care expenditures. There is no current innate immune modulator for
the treatment of asthma. Thus, there is a critical need to develop new therapies to be used in the
treatment of inflammatory lung diseases including asthma. We have discovered small molecules that
mimic the effect of an endogenous lung protein, Surfactant Protein A (SP-A), in reducing airway
constriction associated with asthma that causes symptoms and exacerbations. SP-A is a natural
component of the lining fluid in the lungs and serves as a first line of defense against inhaled insults and
pathogens. Many asthma patients have either very low levels of SP-A or damaged SP-A due to the
inflammatory environment of the asthma lung. Full-length SP-A delivered directly to the lungs is not
feasible due to its size and structure.
Our company, RaeSedo Inc., was founded on the principle that we can create custom modifications of
the active region of SP-A that are delivered in small peptidomimetic form that have improved
pharmacokinetic properties and stability. These SP-A derived peptidomimetics represent a new class of
asthma therapeutics. During Phase I, RaeSedo Inc. and the University of Arizona, worked to meet the
milestones proposed: Design, synthesize and optimize peptidomimetics and to characterize the
bioactivity of the peptidomimetics at specific cellular targets to identify lead compounds. RaeSedo Inc.’s
objectives for the Phase II proposal are to advance aerosol development, pharmacology and evaluation
of toxicity of our lead compounds (C867 and C892) in two large animal models through collaborations
with the University of Arizona and Lovelace Biomedical. The overall goal of this phase II proposal is to
demonstrate safety and efficacy in the ragweed sensitized canine model of asthma. If successful,
RaeSedo Inc. will be equipped to submit an IND application bringing a new class of asthma
therapeutics to the FDA for approval.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10551972
- **Project number:** 2R42HL152942-02
- **Recipient organization:** RAESEDO, LLC
- **Principal Investigator:** Scott Boitano
- **Activity code:** R42 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $1,955,594
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 2022-09-26 → 2024-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10551972

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10551972, Development of SP-A Derived Peptidomimetics for the Treatment of Asthma - Phase II (2R42HL152942-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10551972. Licensed CC0.

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