Disc Medicine Initiates AURORA, a Phase 2 Clinical Study of Bitopertin in Adults with Erythropoietic Protoporphyria (EPP)

WATERTOWN, Mass., Oct. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Disc Medicine, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of novel treatments for patients suffering from serious hematologic diseases, announced today the initiation of AURORA, a Phase 2 clinical study of bitopertin in adults with EPP. Bitopertin is an oral, selective inhibitor of glycine transporter 1 (GlyT1) designed to modulate heme biosynthesis, and has been shown in preclinical studies to reduce accumulation of protoporphyrin IX (PPIX), the toxic metabolite that causes disease pathology in EPP patients. Bitopertin is also currently being studied in BEACON, an open-label Phase 2 clinical study in patients with EPP and X-linked protoporphyria (XLP), which was announced in August 2022 and is being conducted in Australia.