Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the lung. According to a recent report on the global burden of asthma published by the NIH, WHO and the Global Initiative for asthma, it is one of the most common chronic diseases in the world. Currently, around 300 million people in the world are estimated to be affected by asthma. This number continues to increase and it is estimated that there may be an additional 100 million persons suffering from asthma by 2025.

One of the main mechanisms inducing and maintaining asthma is the extravasation of inflammatory cells from the circulation into surrounding lung tissue. As Bimosiamose has been demonstrated to block transmigration of inflammatory cells in preclinical disease models, Revotar successfully developed Bimosiamose in two Phase I trials (dose finding study and multiple dose study) as well as in a Phase IIa allergen challenge study in mild asthmatics. Here, Bimosiamose demonstrated a clear and significant reduction of the late asthmatic response [Beeh KM, et al., Pulm Pharmacol Ther. 2006].