Axcella Health, a biotechnology company, has announced key milestones in the development of AXA4010, the company's first investigational hematology product candidate, it was reported yesterday.

The product's mechanistic data will be revealed at the American Society of Hematology's 2019 Annual Meeting.

The firm has also commenced enrolment of patients with sickle cell disease in a non-IND clinical study. The product covers a novel combination of endogenous metabolic modulators aimed to affect multiple pathways related to red cell membrane biology, hemolysis, endothelial cell and vascular function, and inflammation.

The study will assess the potential impact of AXA4010 on blood structure and function. The company has enrolled its first patients with sickle cell disease in AXA4010-001 (NCT04134299), which is being conducted at multiple United States sites. The study is likely to enrol around 24 subjects aged 12 and older for treatment over 12 weeks.