Global Galectin Inhibitors Market Trends & Clinical Trials Insight 2023

Report Highlights:

• Global Galectin Inhibitors Clinical Pipeline By Company, Indication & Phase
• Insight On All 16 Galectin Inhibitors In Clinical Pipeline
• Clinical Study Initiation & Completion Timeline By Key Drugs
• Global Galectin Inhibitors Market Dynamics
• Insight On Top 10 Companies Involved In the Development Of Galectin Inhibitors Drugs
• Galectin Inhibitors Market Future Opportunity Outlook

Some of the most recent proteins to be exploited as therapeutic targets in various indications are those that regulate and participate in signaling pathways. A related class of proteins known as the galectin family is implicated in numerous disorders that account for the majority of the world's sick population. The member of the galectin family that has drawn the most attention and developed into the best understood is galectin-3. Galectins have been targeted as potential therapeutic targets because of their functions in a variety of diseases, including cancer, autoimmune disorders, and liver ailments. 

Many medications that target galectins have been created so far, including OTX008 and LLS30, however, only a select few have been successful in reaching clinical trials. Even then, numerous applicants had their trials halted or withdrawn for a variety of reasons. These kinds of factors significantly hurt the pharmaceutical sector. Nevertheless, a few new businesses have emerged with a primary focus on creating medications and treatments that target the various galectins; some of these have already started clinical trials. Biotechnology companies with the support of specialists with years of experience and knowledge about the functioning and pathology of galectins in various disorders predominate the market for these medications.

Around 15 therapeutic candidates have been created for various indications and are in various stages of development and clinical review, demonstrating that the functions of galectins are not only limited to a small number of disorders. The most well-known and likely to succeed of the candidates created to date is GR-MD-O2, the lead candidate of Galectin Therapeutics. GR-MD-O2 was granted fast-track status by the US FDA in 2013 for the treatment of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) with hepatic fibrosis, also known as a fatty liver disease with advanced fibrosis, which supports this conclusion.

Galectin-3 inhibitor GR-MD-O2, also known as belapectin, is being tested for both cancer and non-cancer indications, while non-cancer indications studies were initiated sooner. In order to determine the effectiveness and safety of GR-MD-O2 in treating cirrhosis brought on by non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), patients with esophageal varices are participating in a phase 2/3 randomized multinational trial. Further, the investigational new drug medication application for the evaluation of GR-MD-O2 in patients with advanced or metastatic head and neck cancer in combination with a checkpoint inhibitor received FDA clearance in the third quarter of 2022. In response, Galectin began a phase 1 dose-escalation research to examine the outcomes of GR-MD-O2 and pembrolizumab in patients with advanced melanoma, non-small cell lung cancer, and head and neck squamous cell cancer.

However, ProLectin M, a galectin-3 inhibitor, is the candidate that has advanced the furthest in clinical studies for the treatment of COVID-19 patients at various stages of infection. For treating COVID-19 patients with early and severe infection, the medication has been developed in different formulations are a chewable tablet and an intravenous infusion. Its developer Bioxytran is conducting preclinical research or has submitted the IND application for the medicine to be assessed in viral infections such as COVID-19, influenza, monkeypox, and Ebola, as well as in pulmonary fibrosis and other fibrotic disorders.

Other companies also strive to create viable candidates for blocking galectins to treat various ailments. Some companies, like MandalMed, developed candidates with unique modes of action. MandalMed's candidate MM-003 was a human protein inhibitor of galectin-3 developed to stop and treat harmful remodeling during myocardial infarction. Preclinical investigations on the candidate were conducted until the project was abandoned by the company. Yet, this raises hope for the introduction of additional innovative modalities with greater efficacies in the upcoming years.

Galectin inhibitors are still in their infancy on the market, but some companies are working to develop them by accelerating research and development efforts to take advantage of the untapped potential of galectins as a medical treatment. The involvement of galectins in a variety of pathways gives hope for the possibility of one inhibitor being used for more than one disease, which might help the company grow its patient base. As companies performing preclinical and clinical investigations release their findings, the market is predicted to grow in the coming years.