The fact that women’s health has long been underprioritized is common knowledge. Organon, with roots going back to 1923 and having sharpened its focus on women’s health post its 2021 spinoff from Merck & Co., aims to address significant gaps in treatment and care. “Our commitment to women’s health is not just a part of our corporate strategy; it’s at the core of who we are as a company,” said Dr. Juan Camilo Arjona Ferreira, chief medical officer at the company, in a recent interview.
Organon sees women’s health as encompassing more than just reproductive issues. “It’s a continuum that spans a woman’s entire life,” said Arjona Ferreira, a gynecologist by training. “There’s plenty of opportunities across the board because women’s health has been understudied and underappreciated.”
Organon’s approach to women’s health challenges
Dr. Juan Camilo Arjona Ferreira
In the realm of women’s health, one area of focus is endometriosis, a chronic and often painful disorder that affects up to one in 10 women of reproductive age. Organon is pursuing a novel treatment for the condition, which it acquired through its acquisition of Forendo Pharma, which it first announced in late 2021. The OG-6219 compound, an investigational oral 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 inhibitor, is currently in Phase 2 clinical development. OG-6219 is designed to act directly on endometriotic lesions, inhibiting the conversion of estrone into the more potent estradiol within these lesions. Consequently, the drug candidate potentially offers a localized treatment without systemic hormone-level side effects.
The ongoing phase 2 clinical ELENA trial of OG-6219 assesses the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of three different doses of the compound in pre-menopausal women between the ages of 18 to 49 who have been surgically diagnosed with moderate to severe endometriosis-related pain.
Despite being so common, Arjona Ferreira highlights that researchers don’t fully understand the disease. “And there are no real solutions for endometriosis,” he continued while also acknowledging that some treatments are available. “But there’s still a lot to do.” Organon is optimistic about the potential of its OG-6219 program, which is now in phase 2.”
Organon’s focus on women’s health is broad. Arjona Ferreira describes it as having a “big lens” that extends beyond traditional drugs and devices. Beyond the endometriosis focused asset OG-6219, Organon is developing treatments for pre-term labor inflammation, non-hormonal contraceptives, improving hysterectomy procedures, managing postpartum hemorrhage, addressing peri- and post-menopausal symptoms.
Organon focus on the broader healthcare ecosystem
Beyond its extensive commitment to women’s health, Organon also addresses far-reaching health concerns, including respiratory conditions like asthma, cardiovascular disease, dermatology, central nervous system disorders, bone health, immunology, and non-opioid pain management. The company is also exploring delivery platforms, data analysis, and digital solutions to enhance women’s health.
In early November, the company unveiled an alliance with Sempre Health to motivate eligible patients to refill prescriptions for Dulera (mometasone furoate, formoterol fumarate dihydrate) and Asmanex (mometasone furoate), which are for asthma.
“One of the key challenges in health care is medication compliance,” Arjona Ferreira explained. Approximately 75% of U.S. patients struggle to adhere to their medication regimens, partly as a result of cost. “This program is really cool because we use technology to remind patients to refill their prescription in a timely manner.” And as an incentive for maintaining compliance, eligible patients get a reduction in the cost of their medication. “So not only are we ensuring that they take their therapy as prescribed by their physician and stay with it, it also becomes more affordable,” Arjona said. The aim is to “align incentives to make sure everybody wins. We’ll probably learn as we go and hopefully we can come up with improvements if there are opportunities for better outcomes.”
A long-term patient-specific approach to women’s health
Going forward, Organon intends to continue contributing patient-centric treatment strategies for women’s health. “We believe we have a key role in this ecosystem. This is going to be a team that requires many players and we are eager to be a key player in that,” Arjona Ferreira said. The company plans on exploring a range of offerings to help women. The goal is to “move the best solutions faster into the hands of patients,” Arjona Ferreira said. “These may be devices, drugs, or digital solutions. That’s how we are thinking about development — not just in terms of drug development but in a broader sense, offering a comprehensive, three-dimensional view of the space and how we can influence it.”
Filed Under: clinical trials, Drug Discovery, Drug Discovery and Development, Obstetrics & gynecology
