- Positive results from the Bleomycin Pulmonary Fibrosis mouse model in vivo study attributing Thykamine™ with anti-fibrotic effects in lungs
- Compelling results compared to Pirfenidone, a drug used to treat idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
QUÉBEC, Feb. 10, 2026 /CNW/ - Devonian Health Group Inc. ("Devonian" or the "Company") (TSXV: GSD); (OTCQB: DVHGF), a clinical stage corporation focused on developing unique solutions to fibroinflammatory diseases, today announced a potential expanded therapeutic application for Thykamine™, with compelling preclinical data results demonstrating proof of concept efficacy in a well-established animal model of pulmonary fibrosis.
The study investigated the effects of Thykamine™ in bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) mouse model, a widely used preclinical tool for studying idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) pathophysiology and testing antifibrotic therapies. Pulmonary fibrosis was induced in mice using intranasal bleomycin, a gold-standard and clinically relevant model that closely mirrors key pathological features of human idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
Thykamine™ was administered orally at doses of 0.05, 0.1, 0.25, 0.5, and 1 mg/kg, and benchmarked against pirfenidone dosed at 220 mg/kg. Over a 21-day period, animals were monitored for body weight and survival, followed by comprehensive lung assessment. Fibrotic burden was evaluated through lung weight, collagen content, fibrosis-related gene expression, and histopathological scoring.
In this bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis model, Thykamine™ demonstrated statistically significant antifibrotic activity, while pirfenidone did not reach statistical significance in physiological endpoints. Treatment with Thykamine™ at 0.5 mg/kg significantly reduced lung wet weight and lung tissue index compared with the bleomycin/vehicle group.
Bleomycin exposure led to marked increases in fibrosis (Ashcroft score) and inflammation compared with sham controls. Thykamine™ treatment significantly reversed these pathological changes, reducing both fibrosis and inflammation scores and indicating meaningful improvement in lung morphology.
Consistent with its effects on lung pathology, Thykamine™ at 0.5 mg/kg produced a statistically significant downregulation of key fibrosis- and inflammation-associated genes, including Fn1 (fibronectin), Col1a1, Col3a1, Col6a1, and Col6a3 (collagen isoforms involved in extracellular matrix deposition), Birc5, and the chemokines Ccl2 and Cxcl2 (inflammatory cell recruitment). In parallel, Thykamine™ significantly increased Mmp9, a matrix metalloproteinase associated with extracellular matrix turnover, while reducing Mmp13, a collagenase often linked to progressive tissue injury and inflammation. Together, this gene expression profile is consistent with controlled matrix remodeling and attenuation of fibrotic progression.
This well-validated model delivers a strong, dose-responsive demonstration of antifibrotic efficacy across multiple translational endpoints, clearly positioning Thykamine™ as a differentiated, next-generation therapeutic candidate in pulmonary fibrosis. The Company plans to present data in an upcoming scientific publication.
"These results represent a major inflection point for Thykamine™," said Dr. Andre P. Boulet, PhD, Chief Executive Officer. "The pulmonary fibrosis data not only confirm and extend the antifibrotic effects we previously observed in mouse MASH model, but also significantly broaden Thykamine™'s mechanism of action. By combining potent anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic activity at low doses, Thykamine™ demonstrates clear potential to address the underlying biology of fibro-inflammatory diseases and to serve as a scalable, multi-indication platform with disease-modifying potential."
About Pulmonary Fibrosis1,2,3,4,5
Pulmonary fibrosis, particularly idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), is a chronic, progressive, and ultimately fatal interstitial lung disease characterized by irreversible scarring of lung tissue, leading to declining respiratory function and premature mortality. IPF carries a poor prognosis, with median survival estimated at approximately three to five years from diagnosis, highlighting the urgent need for more effective therapies.
Epidemiological studies and recent systematic reviews indicate that the incidence and prevalence of IPF are increasing worldwide, driven in part by aging populations and improved diagnostic awareness. Current estimates suggest an incidence of several cases per 100,000 persons per year, with prevalence rising substantially in older age groups, placing a growing burden on patients and healthcare systems.
Despite the availability of approved antifibrotic therapies, treatment options remain limited and primarily slow disease progression without reversing fibrosis and are often associated with tolerability challenges. As a result, pulmonary fibrosis represents a significant unmet medical need and a rapidly expanding therapeutic market, reinforcing the importance of developing disease-modifying therapies that can more effectively target the underlying fibro-inflammatory drivers of disease.
About Thykamine™
Thykamine™, the first pharmaceutical product issued from Devonian's SUPREX™ platform, is a highly innovative product for the prevention and treatment of health conditions related to fibroinflammation and oxidative stress including ulcerative colitis, atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, and other autoimmune disorders. The anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative and immunomodulatory properties of Thykamine™ have been demonstrated by a considerable number of in vitro and in vivo studies as well as in a Phase IIa clinical study in patients with mild-to-moderate distal ulcerative colitis and in a large Phase II study in adult patients with mild-to-moderate Atopic Dermatitis. Both Thykamine™ and SUPREX™ platform are covered by patents issued in several North American, European and Asian countries.
About Devonian
Devonian Health Group Inc. is a clinical stage pharmaceutical company specializing in the development of drugs for various auto-immune fibroinflammatory conditions with novel therapeutic approaches to targeting unmet medical needs. Devonian's core strategy is to develop prescription drugs for the treatment of inflammatory autoimmune diseases including but not limited to ulcerative colitis and atopic dermatitis. Based on a foundation of over 15 years of research, Devonian's focus is further supported by a U.S. Food and Drug Administration set of regulatory guidelines favoring a more efficient drug development pathway for prescription botanical drug products over those of traditional prescription medicines.
Devonian is also involved in the development of high-value cosmeceutical products leveraging the same proprietary approach employed with their pharmaceutical offerings. Devonian also owns a commercialization subsidiary, Altius Healthcare LP., focused on selling prescription pharmaceutical products in Canada, under license from brand name pharmaceutical companies.
Devonian Health Group Inc. was incorporated in 2015 and is headquartered in Québec, Canada where it owns a state-of-the art extraction facility. Devonian is traded publicly on the TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange") (TSXV: GSD) and on OTCQB exchange (OTCQB: DVHGF).
For more information, visit www.groupedevonian.com
References
1. |
Golchin N, Patel A, Scheuring J, et al. Incidence and prevalence of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: a systematic literature review and meta-analysis. BMC Pulmonary Medicine. 25:378, 2025. |
2. |
Lederer DJ, and Martinez FJ. Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis. N ENGL J MED, 378: 1811-23, 2018 |
3. |
Chang A, Ry PM and Raghu G. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: aligning murine models to clinical trials in humans. The Lancet Respiratory Medicine 11: P953-955, 2023. |
4. |
Marinescu D, Wong AW. Epidemiology of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: opportunities and hurdles for population-level studies of rare disease. Thorax 2024;79:603-604. |
5. |
Maher TM. Interstitial Lung Disease, A Review. JAMA, 331(19): 1655-1665, 2024. |
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SOURCE Devonian Health Group Inc.
Devonian Health Group Inc., Dr. André Boulet, PhD, Chairman & chief Executive Officer, Telephone: 450-979-2916, E-mail: [email protected]
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