PTP-102
An investigational therapeutic targeting the underlying cause of equine laminitis — not its symptoms.
Laminitis is one of the cruellest conditions in the equine world. It can strike any horse, at any age — a sudden failure deep within the hoof, where the delicate lamina that bonds the hoof wall to the coffin bone breaks down. That bond is meant to hold like velcro. When it fails, the pain is severe, the damage can be permanent, and for too many horses the outcome is fatal.
For decades, the response has barely changed: manage the pain, rest the horse, and hope. Conventional care treats the symptoms while the underlying tissue continues to deteriorate. There has never been a widely available, approved treatment that targets the disease itself.
Byrock Technologies exists to change that.
Our lead candidate, PTP-102, is designed to act on the cause rather than the symptom. It works as a free-radical scavenger, calming the enzymatic cascade that drives the destruction of lamellar tissue — with the potential to be used both to prevent laminitis in at-risk horses and to treat it once it strikes. It is a fundamentally different approach to a problem the industry has managed, but never solved.
PTP-102 is built on solid foundations. Its active molecule has an extensive human safety record from large-scale clinical use, and our work is supported by peer-reviewed research published in Frontiers in Microbiology, alongside encouraging laboratory and field studies. PTP-102 has been granted FDA Minor Use / Minor Species (MUMS) status, placing it on a recognised regulatory pathway toward conditional approval.
Investigational status
PTP-102 is an investigational product and is not yet approved by any regulatory authority. It is in active development, advanced by a team that brings together veterinary, scientific, regulatory and commercial expertise — and a shared determination to bring a genuine treatment to the horses and owners who need it.
We are not interested in managing this disease. We intend to change how it is treated.
"PTP-102 exhibited notable success in treating laminitis by targeting the deactivation of MMPs, thereby stimulating the reconstruction of damaged lamellar and basement structures. Its impact on alleviating clinical symptoms and systemic inflammatory responses also significant."
Read the full scientific rationale
Lamellar biology, lazaroid pharmacology, translational history and the veterinary development pathway, with the supporting evidence library.
Peer-reviewed evidence
The following summarises findings from a single published, peer-reviewed study of an experimentally induced model. It is not a field trial, pivotal clinical trial, regulatory approval study, or proof of efficacy across the general horse population.
Primary source
Tuniyazi M., Tang R., Hu X., Zhang N. (2024). "Methylated tirilazad may mitigate oligofructose-induced laminitis in horses." Frontiers in Microbiology, 15, 1391892.
Study design
Induced experimental model
- 20 Mongolian horses allocated to four groups of five: control; induced laminitis without treatment; prophylactic; and treatment.
- Laminitis was induced experimentally using oligofructose — an induced model, not naturally occurring field laminitis.
- Methylated tirilazad was administered intravenously, with a second dose given 12 hours after the first.
- 72-hour study endpoint, after which hoof tissues were assessed.
Group sizes were small (five horses per group). Findings should be interpreted accordingly and do not establish efficacy in naturally occurring or field laminitis.
Reported observations
Clinical signs
Improvements in clinical signs and lameness scores were reported in the treatment group.
Blood biomarkers
Improvements in blood markers were reported, including reductions in LPS, lactate and histamine in the treatment group.
MMP levels
Reductions in MMP-1, MMP-2 and MMP-9 were reported in treated horses versus the untreated laminitis group.
Lamellar tissue
Reduced lamellar tissue injury and improved gross and histological hoof findings were reported.
Reported mechanism (model-derived)
The study authors proposed that methylated tirilazad may reduce lamellar injury by suppressing MMP-mediated tissue destruction and inflammatory signalling. The paper states that the underlying pharmacological mechanism remains unclear and requires further investigation. Reported signals from the induced model include:
- MMP-1, MMP-2 and MMP-9 were reported to be elevated in induced laminitis and reduced by methylated tirilazad.
- These matrix metalloproteinases are associated with lamellar basement-membrane and extracellular-matrix breakdown.
- Reductions in inflammatory markers (LPS, lactate, histamine) were reported in the treatment group.
- Changes in gut microbiota composition were observed, including reduced abundance of genera associated with laminitis development.
PTP-102 remains an investigational veterinary drug candidate. Publication of this study does not constitute regulatory approval, commercial availability, proof of efficacy in all horses, or completion of clinical development. Further controlled field studies are required.
Third-party reporting
Selected independent coverage of the published study by outlets unaffiliated with Byrock Technologies. Listing is not an endorsement; coverage reflects the outlets' own reporting.
New Drug Could Benefit Laminitic Horses
Haylie Pfeffer · November 6, 2024
Independent equine-health publication reporting on the study and its findings.
New Drug Shows Promise In Treating Laminitis
Paulick Report Staff · November 19, 2024
Independent Thoroughbred-industry publication. The article notes the study disclosed financial support from Byrock Technologies Ltd.
From laboratory to clinical development
Discovery
A fresh review of available laminitis research identifies the MMP-driven enzymatic cascade as the principal causative pathway.
Proof of concept
Laboratory and field studies demonstrate PTP-102's potential to prevent and treat laminitis within 72 hours.
Regulatory pathway
FDA Minor Use / Minor Species (MUMS) status granted — a recognised route toward conditional approval.
Active development
An investigational product in active development, advanced by a multidisciplinary team.
About PTP-102
What is PTP-102?
PTP-102 is a novel synthetic nonglucocorticoid 21-aminosteroid designed to inhibit metalloprotease enzymes and inflammatory cytokines implicated in equine laminitis. It is an investigational veterinary drug candidate, not an approved treatment.
What is PTP-102 used for?
PTP-102 is being developed for use against laminitis. In a published induced-laminitis model, methylated tirilazad was associated with improvements in clinical signs and lamellar tissue within a 72-hour study window. PTP-102 is investigational and not yet approved or available; further controlled field studies are required.
How to administer PTP-102?
PTP-102 is to be administered intravenously by a qualified vet.
What makes PTP-102 different from other laminitis treatments?
PTP-102 is intended to target the biochemical pathways implicated in laminitis, rather than providing general anti-inflammatory or pain relief — a more focused approach that remains under investigation.
*Laminitis: definition
Laminitis is a disease that affects the feet of hooved animals (ungulates) and it is found mostly in horses and cattle. Clinical signs include foot tenderness progressing to inability to walk, increased digital pulses, and increased temperature in the hooves. Severe cases with outwardly visible clinical signs are known by the colloquial term founder, and progression of the disease may lead to perforation of the coffin bone through the sole of the hoof, requiring aggressive treatment or euthanasia.
Source: dictionary.babylon-software.com/laminitis/Engage with PTP-102 development
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