Mineralys Therapeutics in Radnor is on its way to developing a drug that will selectively treat hypertension, writes Laura Brzyski for Philadelphia Magazine.

Mineralys Therapeutics is a private, biopharmaceutical company focused on hypertension and comorbidity disorders.

It is part of a group of companies seeking novel biotechnology and healthcare solutions created by the venture capital firm Catalys Pacific.

Mineralys is working on an inhibitor to reduce elevated aldosterone hormone levels, which raises blood pressure leading to heart and kidney problems.

The inhibitor, known as MLS-101, underwent a Phase I study on healthy volunteers in 2017. 

That study found that the drug inhibited aldosterone without affecting other hormones like cortisol, which enhances the brain’s use of glucose and helps with tissue repair.

Mineralys now has funding and FDA approval for a Phase II proof-of-concept study of MLS-101.

 It will be the first time MLS-101 is tested on hypertensive patients.

MLS-101 will be added to their pre-existing medication regimens and the results studied.

“Treating the underlying cause of hypertension, especially in those with elevated aldosterone production, can help increase patients’ long-term health outcomes and overall quality of life,” says Mineralys CEO Jon Congleton.

Read more in Philadelphia Magazine about  Radnor-based Mineralys Therapeutics and its treatment for hypertension.