WAUWATOSA, Wis. & NEWARK, Del.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun 10, 2026--
N-Zyme Biomedical, a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing a novel class of therapeutics targeting pepsin in reflux disease, today announced the initiation of its Phase 2 clinical trial to evaluate its lead pepsin inhibitor candidate for the treatment of laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR).
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The trial represents a key milestone in the development of what is believed to be the first therapeutic approach specifically designed to inhibit pepsin, a primary driver of tissue damage and symptoms in reflux disease.
Unlike traditional acid-suppressing therapies, including proton pump inhibitors (PPIs)that do not address non-acidic components of reflux, N-Zyme’s approach is designed to target pepsin directly—addressing a key mechanism underlying persistent and treatment-resistant symptoms.
LPR, often referred to as “silent reflux,” remains significantly underdiagnosed and undertreated, with many patients continuing to experience chronic symptoms despite standard therapies. By targeting pepsin, N-Zyme is advancing a differentiated approach with the potential to improve outcomes across a large and underserved patient population.
“The initiation of our Phase 2 trial marks an important milestone for N-Zyme and the advancement of a new therapeutic approach in reflux disease,” saidFranco Vigile, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of N-Zyme Biomedical. “For decades, the standard of care has focused primarily on acid suppression, despite growing evidence supporting the role of pepsin in disease pathology—particularly in LPR and other extraesophageal manifestations of reflux. We believe targeting pepsin represents a differentiated approach with the potential to redefine how reflux disease is treated and improve outcomes for millions of patients.”
Strengthened Intellectual Property Portfolio
In parallel with the advancement of its clinical program, N-Zyme recently expanded its intellectual property portfolio with the issuance of patents covering the use of fosamprenavir for the treatment of reflux disease from both the United States Patent and Trademark Office and the Japan Patent Office.
These patents provide strategic protection for the use of fosamprenavir and related compounds in reflux indications and further support the company’s position in developing therapies targeting pepsin.
About the Phase 2 Trial
The Phase 2 clinical trial is designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of N-Zyme’s pepsin inhibitor candidate, utilizing fosamprenavir, a well-characterized molecule with an established safety profile, in patients diagnosed with laryngopharyngeal reflux. The trial is led by Dr. Nikki Johnston at the Medical College of Wisconsin and is expected to generate data supporting the therapeutic potential of pepsin inhibition.
About N-Zyme Biomedical
N-Zyme Biomedical is a clinical-stage biotechnology company headquartered in Delaware, United States. The company is developing a novel class of therapeutics designed to inhibit pepsin, with the goal of advancing the treatment of reflux disease and addressing a significant unmet medical need.
Attendees gather at N-Zyme Biomedical's Phase 2 Clinical Trial Launch Celebration at the Medical College of Wisconsin.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The newly drained Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool's bottom surface has noticeably faded since it was lined with a protective coating in a color President Donald Trump called “American flag blue” this spring.
An Associated Press reporter and photographer viewed the fenced-off Reflecting Pool on Wednesday from the top of the Washington Monument. The new liner appears grayer than when the pool was repainted and refilled with water in early June. Debris that had been visible earlier this week after the pool was drained is now largely gone, after work crews removed it.
Trump’s problem-plagued effort to revamp the landmark has stretched well past his initial goal of having the Reflecting Pool ready by July 4 for the nation’s 250th birthday.
The president at first suggested his renovations would cost $1.5 million, but the bill ballooned to more than $16 million by June.
Trump had said the repairs would last a century, but within days of the project's initial completion last month, the water was beset by an algae bloom and pieces of the new coating appeared to be peeling off the bottom.
Ohio-based Green Water Solutions, also known as Greenwater Services, was given a $1.7 million contract to install a water-purification system in the Reflecting Pool, while Virginia-based Atlantic Industrial Coatings was awarded $14.7 million to repaint and waterproof the pool’s concrete floor.
Trump has repeatedly blamed vandals for the peeling paint, though critics allege it’s from shoddy repair work.
Trump has said, without citing evidence, that vandals made a “350-foot gash” in the liner and caused other problems. No large slash marks were immediately visible Wednesday from the Washington Monument view. It was not possible to do a more up-close inspection of the entire pool due to a dark fence surrounding the perimeter.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, whose agency oversees the National Park Service, said that after the water is drained and debris is cleaned from Independence Day fireworks, the plan for the pool is straightforward: “Repair the vandalism that was done. Fill it back up again." He was speaking with conservative podcaster Katie Miller.
Court documents show that the National Park Service reported to the U.S. Park Police a June 9 incident in which a sharp knife or razor was said to have cut the pool’s new liner.
Former Olympic canoe racer David Hearn pleaded not guilty last week in D.C. Superior Court to deliberately damaging the Reflecting Pool. Hearn has said he reached inside the pool to examine the peeled sealant and let go of a chunk when he was told to by a park worker.
His attorneys and other Trump administration critics have derided the case as an abuse of prosecutorial power and maintain he is being scapegoated for the poor job done fixing up the Reflecting Pool.
At least three other people have been charged in the same court with misdemeanors for allegedly removing pieces of paint from the pool, court records show. All three pleaded not guilty during initial court appearances.
The work on the Reflecting Pool is just one of a number of projects Trump has spearheaded across the nation’s capital. Most prominently, he demolished the White House’s East Wing to build a $400 million ballroom and plans to build a towering arch. between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery.
National Park Service workers investigate the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington, Wednesday, July 15, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)
The Reflecting Pool, Washington Monument and U.S. Capitol are seen, Wednesday, July 15, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)
The Reflecting Pool is seen from the Washington Monument, Wednesday, July 15, 2026. in Washington. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)
The Reflecting Pool is seen from the Washington Monument, Wednesday, July 15, 2026. in Washington. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)
The Lincoln Memorial and the Reflecting Pool are seen from the Washington Monument, Wednesday, July 15, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)
