Our Science
Preterm labor, defined as the birthing process starting prior to 37 weeks of gestation, is a serious condition characterized by uterine contractions, cervical dilation and rupture of the fetal membranes that can lead to preterm birth. According to a study published in the Lancet in 2012, approximately 15 million babies were born before 37 weeks of gestation in 2010, accounting for 11.1% of all live births worldwide. Over 1 million children under the age of five died in 2013 worldwide due to preterm birth complications, and many infants who survive preterm birth are at greater risk for cerebral palsy, delays in development, hearing and vision issues, and often face a lifetime of disability. The rates of preterm births are rising in almost all countries with reliable data for preterm birth, and are associated with an immense financial impact to the global healthcare system.
To date, only treatments with limited efficacy or restrictive safety issues are available to treat preterm labor. In the United States, no drugs are approved for acute treatment of PTL and recommended off-label tocolytic treatments (medications that inhibit labor) include beta-adrenergic receptor agonists, calcium channel blockers, or NSAIDs, which are used for short-term prolongation of pregnancy (up to 48 hours) to allow for the administration of antenatal steroids (e.g. betamethasone). Magnesium sulfate, used for fetal neuroprotection can also be used (up to 48 hours) to inhibit acute preterm labor. Approved tocolytic treatments in Europe include beta-adrenergic agonists, which carry severe maternal cardiovascular risks, and intravenous infusions of atosiban (an oxytocin receptor antagonist).
While prostaglandin inhibitors (NSAIDs) have been shown to be effective for inhibiting preterm labor, use of such drugs is limited, due to the threat of serious and sometimes life-threatening side effects in the fetus. Such side effects may include kidney function impairment, premature constriction of the blood vessel connecting the pulmonary artery and the descending aorta in a developing fetus (ductus arteriosus), and higher risk of thrombosis of the intestinal arteries (a condition called necrotizing enterocolitis).
Ebopiprant (OBE022), is an investigational, orally active, selective prostaglandin F2a (PGF2a) receptor antagonist being evaluated as a potential treatment for preterm labor by reducing inflammation and uterine contractions. If approved, it has potential to be a first-in-class innovation for this common and serious condition with no approved therapies for acute treatment of preterm labor in the United States. .
In July 2021, Obseva licensed the global development, manufacturing and commercial rights to ebopiprant (OBE022) to Organon.