Molecure announces first patient dosed in Phase I trial with novel, first-in-class dual arginase inhibitor OATD-02 for the treatment of cancer

  • OATD-02 is an oral, potent and selective dual arginase inhibitor (ARG1 and ARG2) for the treatment of cancer
  • Phase I clinical trial to assess safety, tolerability and preliminary efficacy of OATD-02 in patients with advanced and/or metastatic solid tumors – initial clinical data expected at the end of 2023
  • Second new drug candidate from Molecure’s proprietary pipeline in clinical development

Warsaw, Poland 8 March 2023 – Molecure S.A. (“Molecure”: WSE: MOC) a clinical stage biotechnology company that uses its world leading medicinal chemistry and biology capabilities to discover and develop first in class small molecule drug candidates that directly modulate unexplored protein and RNA targets to treat multiple incurable diseases, announces today that the first patient has been dosed in a Phase I trial evaluating OATD-02 as a monotherapy in cancer patients with advanced solid tumors.

The Phase I trial is an open-label, multi-center, first in human, dose escalation study to evaluate safety, tolerability, anti-cancer activity and to establish the maximum tolerated dose of OATD-02. The study is being conducted at three sites in Poland and will enroll a maximum of 40 patients with selected advanced and/or metastatic solid tumors including colorectal cancer, ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer or renal cell carcinoma.

Marcin Szumowski, Chief Executive Officer of Molecure, said, “We are very excited to start this first in human clinical trial with OATD-02, the second candidate from Molecure’s proprietary pipeline to enter clinical development. This is another important milestone for the company and underpins our commitment to deliver novel medicines that can provide significant benefit to people suffering from advanced and/or metastatic solid tumors. We believe OATD-02 has shown a very promising pre-clinical profile, and we look forward to seeing the initial data from this first in human study in the latter part of 2023.”

Dr Samson Fung, Chief Medical Officer added: “OATD-02 is the first and only dual acting arginase inhibitor in development globally to treat solid tumors. This novel drug candidate has been designed to improve treatment outcomes, including in more advanced disease, helping to restore the patient’s antitumor immune response by overcoming the immunosuppressive tumor environment. The important data emerging from this trial will help to guide future clinical development for OATD-02, which we hope will bring treatment benefits to patients with a broad range of tumors.”

For further information, please contact:

Molecure S.A. (PR & IR)                                      

Marta Borkowska

Email: m.borkowska@molecure.com

(+48) 728 728 143

MEDiSTRAVA Consulting (Financial PR)                           

Frazer Hall, Sandi Greenwood, Eleanor Perkin

molecure@medistrava.com

+44 (0)203 928 6900

About OATD-02

OATD-02 is being developed by Molecure as a potential new therapeutic for a range of solid tumors. It is the first and only dual acting, highly potent arginase inhibitor in development for the treatment of cancer, involved in both tumor immunity and metabolism. Arginase 1 (ARG1) and Arginase 2 (ARG2) are validated targets that have been found on a variety of tumor types where their increased activity correlates with more advanced disease and worse clinical prognosis due to diminished arginine levels.

About Molecure

Molecure is a clinical stage biotechnology company that uses its world leading medicinal chemistry and biology capabilities to discover and develop first-in-class small molecule drug candidates that directly modulate the function of underexplored protein and RNA targets to treat multiple incurable diseases.

Molecure has generated a diverse pipeline of seven distinct programs with the support of leading academic life science institutions.

Molecure’s most advanced in-house drug candidate is OATD-01, a first in class dual chitinase inhibitor for the treatment of interstitial lung diseases, such as sarcoidosis and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, that is Phase II ready. A Phase II trial in patients with sarcoidosis is expected to start in 2023.

Our second proprietary candidate is OATD-02, an oral, potent and selective first in class, dual arginase inhibitor (ARG1 and ARG2) for the treatment of cancer, which advanced to Phase I clinical development in Q1 2023.Molecure’s headquarters and laboratories are located in Warsaw, Poland with an additional laboratory facility in Łódź. The company is listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange (ticker: MOC).

For more information, please visit molecure.com/en/

LinkedIn: Molecure| Twitter: @molecure_sa | YouTube: Molecure SA

Molecure Appoints Dr. Samson Fung, Chief Medical Officer to its Management Board as it Continues to Focus on Successfully Progressing its Expanded Clinical Portfolio Copy

  • Dr Zbigniew Zasłona, PhD promoted to Chief Scientific Officer – Dr Zasłona remains a member of Molecure’s Management Board
  • Dr Adam Gołębiowski transitioning from management board position to take on role of Senior Research Fellow

 

Warsaw, Poland – 03.01.2023 – Molecure S.A. (“Molecure”: WSE: MOC) a clinical stage biotechnology company using its world leading medicinal chemistry capabilities to discover first-in-class small molecule drug candidates that directly modulate unexplored protein and RNA targets to treat multiple incurable diseases, announces that Dr. Samson Fung, Chief Medical officer has been appointed to the Company’s management board. Dr. Adam Gołębiowski has stepped down from the management board to take on the role of Senior Research Fellow at Molecure. In parallel, Dr. Zbigniew Zasłona, has been promoted to Chief Scientific Officer from his current position as VP Research Biology. Dr. Zasłona, will remain on Molecure’s management board.

These changes are designed to better position the company to rapidly progress its clinical stage assets towards meaningful endpoints and partnering transactions, while simultaneously developing its early stage programs, including its innovative RNA discovery platform, to create a balanced pipeline of first-in-class assets with breakthrough therapy potential.

Marcin Szumowski, Co-founder & CEO commented, “The new roles among our leadership team are tailored to support the successful development of our exciting clinical portfolio, which comprises 0ATD-01, which is targeting inflammatory lung diseases, starting with sarcoidosis, and OATD-02, which is being developed to treat a broad range of cancers. I would like to congratulate Samson as he becomes a new member of the management board where his significant pharmaceutical and biotech industry experience will be an important asset. I am also delighted to announce the promotion of Zbigniew to Chief Scientific Officer, which reflects the significant contribution he has made since joining Molecure. Dr. Adam Gołębiowski has initiated the discovery of both of our clinical stage assets enabling Molecure to become a clinical stage company. He has been instrumental in launching our early stage pipeline since co-founding Molecure and we look forward to having his continued engagement in a more science focused role in Molecure’s early-stage programs. The experience within the senior leadership team combines deep scientific knowledge and clinical development expertise that will be important in helping us advance and broaden our pipeline.”

Dr Samson Fung graduated from the University of Freiburg, Germany and obtained his board certification in internal medicine with sub-specialization in oncology and hematology. Dr. Fung brings more than three decades of global industry and senior leadership experience across the life science sector. He has significant biotech experience with senior leadership roles (Head of Clinical Development, interim CMO) at several of Europe’s most successful biotech companies including Micromet, later acquired by AMGEN, Morphosys and Argenx. Before that Dr Fung has held senior roles in clinical development, medical affairs, business development and strategic marketing at leading global pharmaceutical companies including Roche, Novartis, Pharmacia/Pfizer, Novo Nordisk and AstraZeneca.

Dr Zbigniew Zasłona has been with Molecure for 2.5 years. He obtained his PhD in 2010 at the University of Giessen and the Marburg Lung Center in Germany, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Michigan, USA. From 2015 to October 2020, he was a research fellow at Trinity College Dublin (Ireland) in the Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, as well as a Senior Investigator at the UK biotechnology company Sitryx (which in March 2020 entered into a $1bln collaboration and license agreement with Eli Lilly), where he was responsible for anti-inflammatory drug development programs. Dr. Zasłona has a publishing track record with h-index 26 and over 3000 citations. He is a recognized international expert in the field of inflammatory processes and lung diseases being repeatedly invited to lecture at leading international scientific conferences.

Dr Adam Gołębiowski, who is a co-founder of Molecure has over 30 years of experience in leading research and development and drug discovery programs. In 1987 he completed his doctorate at the Institute of Organic Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at Wayne State University, Michigan, USA.  From 1989 to 2006, he led teams of medicinal chemists and research programs at Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals. From 2006 to 2012, he led research programs at the Institutes for Pharmaceutical Discovery (IPD) in Connecticut, USA.  He is author of over 30 patents, 100 original publications, review articles and books.

For further information, please contact:

Molecure S.A. (PR & IR)

Marta Borkowska                                  

Email: m.borkowska@molecure.com

+(48) 728 728 143

MEDiSTRAVA Consulting (Financial PR)                           

Frazer Hall, David Dible, Sandi Greenwood, Eleanor Perkin

molecure@medistrava.com

+44 (0)203 928 6900

About Molecure

Molecure is a clinical stage biotechnology company that uses its world leading medicinal chemistry and biology capabilities to discover and develop first-in-class small molecule drug candidates that directly modulate the function of underexplored protein and RNA targets to treat multiple incurable diseases.

Molecure has generated a diverse pipeline of eight distinct programs with the support of leading academic life science institutions globally, including Yale University, Rutgers University, the Flemish Institute for Biotechnology (VIB) in Ghent, the University of Michigan and the International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology in Warsaw (IIMCB).

Molecure’s most advanced in-house drug candidate is OATD-01, a first-in-class dual chitinase inhibitor for the treatment of interstitial lung diseases, such as sarcoidosis and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, that is Phase II ready. A Phase II trial in patients with sarcoidosis is expected to start in 2023.

Our second proprietary candidate is OATD-02, an oral, potent and selective first-in-class, dual arginase inhibitor (ARG1 and ARG2) for the treatment of cancer.

Molecure’s headquarters and laboratories are located in Warsaw, Poland with an additional laboratory facility in Łódź. The company is listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange (ticker: MOC).

For more information, please visit www.molecure.com

LinkedIn: Molecure| Twitter: @molecure_sa | YouTube: Molecure SA

 

Molecure to begin clinical development of novel dual arginase inhibitor OATD-02 for the treatment of cancer after gaining permission to conduct first clinical trial in Poland

  • OATD-02 is an oral, potent and selective first in class, dual arginase inhibitor (ARG1 and ARG2) for the treatment of cancer.
  • Phase I clinical trial to begin later in 2022 to assess safety, tolerability and efficacy of OATD-02 in patients with advanced and/or metastatic solid tumors.

Warsaw, Poland  28th of November 2022 – Molecure S.A. (“Molecure”: WSE: MOC) a clinical stage biotechnology company that uses its world leading medicinal capabilities to discover and develop first in class small molecule drug candidates that directly modulate unexplored protein and RNA targets to treat multiple incurable diseases, announces today that the President of the Polish Office for Registration of Medicinal Products, Medical Devices and Biocidal Products granted permission to conduct the first clinical trial of OATD-02.

The planned Phase I trial will be an open-label, multi-center, dose escalation study to evaluate safety, tolerability, anti-cancer activity and to establish the maximum tolerated dose of OATD-02. The study will be conducted in Poland and will enroll a maximum of 40 patients with selected advanced and/or metastatic solid tumors including colorectal cancer, ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer or renal cell carcinoma. The study is expected to start before the end of 2022.

Dr Samson Fung, Chief Medical Officer, said “We are delighted to receive approval to advance OATD-02 into its first clinical study which is a major milestone for Molecure. OATD-02 is the only dual acting arginase inhibitor in development globally for the treatment of cancer and it has demonstrated significant anti-cancer activity in pre-clinical studies, by impacting both tumor immunity and tumor metabolism.

OATD-02 is the second candidate from Molecure’s pipeline to enter the clinic and we look forward to seeing the first data from patients with solid tumors where despite the availability of new treatments there is still a significant unmet need.”

The clinical trial will be co-financed by the European Union within the framework of the European Funds Smart Growth and European Regional Development Fund.

About OATD-02

OATD-02 is being developed as a potential new therapeutic for a range of solid tumors. It is the first and only dual acting, highly potent arginase inhibitor in development for the treatment of cancer, involved in both tumor immunity and metabolism. Arginase 1 (ARG1) and Arginase 2 (ARG2) are validated targets that have been found on a variety of tumor types where their increased activity correlates with more advanced disease and worse clinical prognosis due to diminished arginine levels.

 

For further information, please contact:

Molecure S.A. (PR & IR)                                      

Marta Borkowska

Email: m.borkowska@molecure.com

(+48) 728 728 143

MEDiSTRAVA Consulting (Financial PR)                           

Frazer Hall, David Dible, Sandi Greenwood, Eleanor Perkin

molecure@medistrava.com

+44 (0)203 928 6900

About Molecure

Molecure is a clinical stage biotechnology company that uses its world leading medicinal chemistry and biology capabilities to discover and develop first-in-class small molecule drug candidates that directly modulate the function of underexplored protein and RNA targets to treat multiple incurable diseases.

Molecure has generated a diverse pipeline of eight distinct programs with the support of leading academic life science institutions.

Molecure’s most advanced in-house drug candidate is OATD-01, a first in class dual chitinase inhibitor for the treatment of interstitial lung diseases, such as sarcoidosis and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, that is Phase II ready. A Phase II trial in patients with sarcoidosis is expected to start in 2023.

Our second proprietary candidate is OATD-02, an oral, potent and selective first in class, dual arginase inhibitor (ARG1 and ARG2) for the treatment of cancer, which is expected to advance to Phase I clinical development before the end of 2022.

Molecure’s headquarters and laboratories are located in Warsaw, Poland with an additional laboratory facility in Łódź. The company is listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange (ticker: MOC).

For more information, please visit molecure.com/en/

LinkedIn: Molecure| Twitter: @molecure_sa | YouTube: Molecure SA

Molecure to Host Virtual R&D Day on 7th December 2022

Warsaw, Poland – 14 November 2022 – Molecure S.A. (“Molecure”: WSE: MOC) a clinical stage biotechnology company that uses its world leading medicinal chemistry capabilities to discover first-in-class small molecule drug candidates that directly modulate unexplored protein and RNA targets to treat multiple incurable diseases, will host a virtual R&D Day on the 7th December 2022 at 13.30 CET / 12.30 BST / 6.30 ET.

During this event, management and scientific leaders will provide a comprehensive review of Molecure’s the company’s pipeline.

The event will provide updates on Molecure’s clinical development plans and related near-term catalysts, with a focus on its two novel drug candidates, OATD-01, a first in class chitinase inhibitor for sarcoidosis and OATD-02, a dual acting, highly potent arginase inhibitor for a broad range of cancers.

Date: 7th December 2022

Time: 13.30 – 16.30 CET

The agenda and details of how to join the meeting will be available in an invitation and on the Company’s website (www.molecure.com) which will be issued closer to the time of the event.

 

For further information, please contact:

Molecure S.A. (PR & IR)

Marta Borkowska                                  

Email: m.borkowska@molecure.com

+(48) 728 728 143

 

MEDiSTRAVA Consulting (Financial PR)                           

Frazer Hall, David Dible, Sandi Greenwood, Eleanor Perkin

molecure@medistrava.com

+44 (0)203 928 6900

About Molecure

Molecure is a clinical stage biotechnology company that uses its world leading medicinal chemistry and biology capabilities to discover and develop first-in-class small molecule drug candidates that directly modulate the function of underexplored protein and RNA targets to treat multiple incurable diseases.

Molecure has generated a diverse pipeline of eight distinct programs with the support of leading academic life science institutions globally, including Yale University, Rutgers University, the Flemish Institute for Biotechnology (VIB) in Ghent, the University of Michigan and the International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology in Warsaw (IIMCB).

Molecure’s most advanced in-house drug candidate is OATD-01, a first-in-class dual chitinase inhibitor for the treatment of interstitial lung diseases, such as sarcoidosis and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, that is Phase II ready. A Phase II trial in patients with sarcoidosis is expected to start in 2023.

Our second proprietary candidate is OATD-02, an oral, potent and selective first-in-class, dual arginase inhibitor (ARG1 and ARG2) for the treatment of cancer, which is expected to advance to Phase I clinical development in the second half of 2022.

Molecure’s headquarters and laboratories are located in Warsaw, Poland with an additional laboratory facility in Łódź. The company is listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange (ticker: MOC).

For more information, please visit https://molecure.com/pl/

LinkedIn: Molecure| Twitter: @molecure_sa | YouTube: Molecure SA

Molecure reports continued pipeline momentum for 6 months ended 30th June 2022

  • Our new name “Molecure” reflects expansion of scope of small molecule targets from novel proteins to mRNA in discovery & development of breakthrough therapies for multiple diseases
  • Worldwide rights regained to novel, dual chitinase inhibitor OATD-01 following a strategic review by Galapagos enabling first administration to sarcoidosis patients in a Phase II PoC study in mid-2023
  • Dr Samson Fung appointed as Chief Medical Officer to lead global clinical development, translational science and regulatory strategies
  • Strong progress across proprietary pipeline with two key clinical trials planned with OATD-01 and OATD-02 respectively
  • First administration of OATD-02 to oncology patients expected at end of 2022

 

Warsaw, Poland – 29 September 2022 – Molecure S.A. (“Molecure”: WSE: MOC) a clinical stage biotechnology company that uses its world leading medicinal capabilities to discover and develop first-in-class small molecule drug candidates that directly modulate RNA and unexplored protein targets to treat multiple incurable diseases, announces interim results for the six months ending 30 June 2022. The full report in Polish can be found here https://molecure.com/pl/informacje-dla-inwestorow/

Marcin Szumowski, CEO and President of the Management Board of Molecure commented: The last 6 months has been a period of significant transformation for Molecure. We unveiled our new identity in April as Molecure (formerly OncoArendi Therapeutics). This significant change reflects and highlights our growing ambition, passion and ongoing commitment to discover and develop novel small molecule therapies for millions of people with serious and incurable diseases.

I am pleased with the progress that the team has made to advance and expand our portfolio of products including establishment of a new mRNA discovery platform. We intend to build on our balanced pipeline and accelerate its progress in the remainder of 2022 and beyond.

Molecure is entering a very exciting stage in its development with a number of potential near-term value creating milestones set to be achieved from its pipeline portfolio. These include regulatory clearance and launch of a Phase II proof-of-concept study for OATD-01 in sarcoidosis patients in mid-2023. We believe that OATD‑01, a novel chitinase inhibitor with first-in-class potential has a key role to play in multiple inflammatory and fibrotic diseases. It is also a front-runner in creating future value for our shareholders and the start of the Phase II trial will be a significant corporate milestone. Following the strategic review by Galapagos, Molecure now retains all global commercial rights to this molecule.

We have also made excellent progress with OATD-02, a first-in-class dual arginase inhibitor for the treatment of cancer that has recently successfully completed preclinical development. A CTA was filed for OATD-02 with the Polish regulator on August 11 with a decision expected in late October, paving the way for us to start Phase I clinical trials in December 2022.

We are also continuing to explore and optimize our mRNA platform that aims to generate small molecule RNA-binding drugs that can address a range of difficult to drug targets.

Our value generating strategy is based on a diverse set of growth opportunities and I am confident that our expertise in medicinal chemistry and the biology of low-grade inflammation leading to tissue remodeling, and cancer will enable us to generate disease modifying treatments to improve the lives of many people.

Investor presentation

The Molecure leadership team will host a live online/in-person presentation relating to the interim results via a live webcast on 29 September 2022 at 2:30pm CET. The presentation and recording will be available on the Company’s YouTube channel: Molecure SA.

Commercial & Operational Highlights

  • Rights regained to 0ATD-01, following Galapagos strategic pipeline review
  • Data generated to date shows attractive benefit-risk profile and together with the scientific advice received from the EMA are highly supportive of further progressing OATD-01 into Phase II clinical trials expected to start in mid-2023
  • Sarcoidosis has been chosen as the initial indication for the Phase II study
  • Further potential in several other respiratory indications, other ILDs and NASH
  • CTA for OATD-02 filed with Polish regulator in August, following successful completion of preclinical studies
  • OATD-02 is an oral, potent and selective first-in-class, dual arginase inhibitor (ARG1 and ARG2) for the treatment of cancer
  • Following CTA approval, Molecure plans to initiate a Phase I clinical trial at the end of end 2022 to assess safety of OATD-02 in patients with advanced and/or metastatic solid tumors.
  • Rapid development of USP-7 inhibitors program
  • Continued development of program, selected lead molecule with high in vitro activity confirms its in-vivo effectiveness in the syngeneic colorectal cancer model showing a dose-dependent inhibition of tumor growth
  • Further development of mRNA platform
  • Continued development of platform, as Molecure applies a range of analytical techniques to confirm the secondary structure of 6 most promising regions
  • Currently, work is being carried out on modeling the tertiary structure of these identified mRNA fragments, which in the next stage will allow for the launch of work aimed at discovering compounds that bind these targeted regions

Key organizational changes to drive the Company through its next phase of evolution

  • Internal team members appointed to the Management Board: Dr. Adam Gołębiowski, Dr. Zbigniew Zasłona and Agnieszka Rajczuk-Szczepańska
  • Appointment of Samson Fung, M.D., PhD, as Chief Medical Officer to lead global clinical development, translational science and regulatory strategies. Dr Fung will lead the advancement of 0ATD-01 and OATD-02 into Phase II and Phase I clinical trials respectively
  • Supervisory board expanded to include Nancy Van Osselaer, Paul van der Horst and Paweł Trawkowski as its new members

Important Post-period Highlights

  • Significant progress made on OATD-02, an oral, potent and selective first-in-class, dual arginase inhibitor (ARG1 and ARG2) for the treatment of cancer expected to enter the clinic in late 2022.
  • Publication* (17th August) titled, “OATD-02 Validates the Benefits of Pharmacological Inhibition of Arginase 1 and 2 in Cancer”. This is the first study validating the benefits of pharmacological inhibition of ARG2 in cancer and demonstrates OATD-02 as a potent dual ARG1/ARG2 inhibitor with a cellular activity (necessary for targeting ARG2) exhibiting immunomodulatory and direct antitumor efficacy in animal models

* https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/14/16/3967

First Half Financial Highlights

  • Operating income totaled PLN1.25 million (US$275,000), an increase of PLN0.69 million (US$129,400) due to subsidies received from public grants
  • Operating expenses totaled PLN8.66 million (US$1.91 million), an increase of PLN3.07 million (US$451,800). This was mainly due to higher R&D costs as the company’s pipeline advances, the cost of external services, wages and rebranding activities
  • Net loss for the 6 months ended 30 June 2022 totaled PLN7.06 million (US$1.55 million). This was due to higher operating expenses as above
  • As of June 30, 2022 Molecure had cash of PLN82.78 million (US$18.2 million)
  • Current funds are expected to fund the company’s operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements into mid-2024.
  • US$/PLN exchange rate 4.54 as 30 June 2022
  • US$/PLN exchange rate 3.84 as 30 June 2021

.

For further information, please contact:

Molecure S.A. (PR & IR)

Marta Borkowska                                  

Email: m.borkowska@molecure.com

+(48) 728 728 143

MEDiSTRAVA Consulting (Financial PR)                           

Frazer Hall, David Dible, Sandi Greenwood, Eleanor Perkin

molecure@medistrava.com

+44 (0)203 928 6900

 

Molecure announces filing of Clinical Trial Application with Polish regulator for OATD-02, a novel dual arginase inhibitor being developed for the treatment of cancer

  • OATD-02 is an oral, potent and selective first in class, dual arginase inhibitor (ARG1 and ARG2) for the treatment of cancer.
  • Following CTA approval, Molecure plans to initiate a Phase I clinical trial in late 2022 to assess safety and efficacy of OATD-02 in patients with advanced and/or metastatic solid tumors.

 

Warsaw, Poland  11 August 2022 – Molecure S.A. (“Molecure”: WSE: MOC) a clinical stage biotechnology company that uses its world leading medicinal capabilities to discover and develop first in class small molecule drug candidates that directly modulate RNA and unexplored protein targets to treat multiple incurable diseases, announces today it has filed a Clinical Trial Application (CTA) for OATD-02 with the Polish Office for Registration of Medicinal Products, Medical Devices and Biocidal Products. The Company plans to conduct a Phase I clinical trial with OATD-02 in patients with selected advanced and/or metastatic solid tumors including colorectal cancer, ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer or renal cell carcinoma.

The Phase I trial is expected to be an open-label, multi-center, dose escalation study to evaluate safety, tolerability, anti-cancer activity and to establish the maximum tolerated dose of OATD-02. The study is expected to start in the fourth quarter of 2022, subject to regulatory approval.

Marcin Szumowski, Molecure CEO commented, “Today’s CTA filing represents a significant milestone in the development of OATD-02, potentially the first dual arginase inhibitor to enter the clinic. We have already seen promising pre-clinical data that shows OATD-02 has significant anti-cancer activity with potential to improve treatment outcomes in a broad range of solid tumors. Subject to regulatory approval we look forward to advancing OATD-02 into clinical development later this year.”

The clinical part of the development of the OATD-02 compound is carried out within the framework of the project: pre-clinical and clinical development of arginase inhibitor for application in anti-cancer immunotherapy (POIR.01.01.01-00-0415/17), cofinanced by the European Union in the framework of European Funds Smart Growth and European Regional Development Fund.

About OATD-02 (oncology)

OATD-02 is being developed as a potential new therapeutic for a range of solid tumors. It is the first and only dual acting, highly potent arginase inhibitor in development for the treatment of cancer, involved in both tumor immunity and metabolism. Arginase 1 (ARG1) and Arginase 2 (ARG2) are validated targets that have been found on a variety of tumor types where their increased activity correlates with more advanced disease and worse clinical prognosis due to diminished arginine levels.

 

For further information, please contact:

Molecure S.A. (PR & IR)                                      

Magdalena Licka

Email: m.licka@molecure.com

(+48) 512 777 001

 

MEDiSTRAVA Consulting (Financial PR)                           

Frazer Hall, David Dible, Sandi Greenwood, Eleanor Perkin

molecure@medistrava.com

+44 (0)203 928 6900

 

About Molecure

 

Molecure is a clinical stage biotechnology company that uses its world leading medicinal chemistry and biology capabilities to discover and develop first-in-class small molecule drug candidates that directly modulate the function of RNA and underexplored protein targets to treat multiple incurable diseases.

Molecure has generated a diverse pipeline of eight distinct programs with the support of leading academic life science institutions globally, including the International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology in Warsaw (IIMCB), which has significant expertise in RNA science.

Molecure’s most advanced in-house drug candidate is OATD-01, a first in class dual chitinase inhibitor for the treatment of interstitial lung diseases, such as sarcoidosis and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, that is Phase II ready. A Phase II trial in patients with sarcoidosis is expected to start in 2023.

Our second proprietary candidate is OATD-02, an oral, potent and selective first in class, dual arginase inhibitor (ARG1 and ARG2) for the treatment of cancer, which is expected to advance to Phase I clinical development in the second half of 2022.

Molecure’s headquarters and laboratories are located in Warsaw, Poland with an additional laboratory facility in Łódź. The company is listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange (ticker: MOC).

For more information, please visit molecure.com/en/

LinkedIn: Molecure| Twitter: @molecure_sa | YouTube: Molecure SA

Molecure to regain worldwide rights to dual chitinase inhibitor OATD-01

  • Follows an ongoing strategic portfolio review by partner Galapagos
  • Molecure to regain all rights, associated data, IP and inventory to OATD-01
  • Evaluating potential first indication and development plan for the asset in sarcoidosis

Warsaw, Poland  June 23, 2022 – Molecure S.A. (“Molecure”: WSE: MOC) a clinical stage biotechnology company that uses its world leading medicinal capabilities to discover and develop first in class small molecule drug candidates that directly modulate RNA and unexplored protein targets to treat multiple incurable diseases, announces today that it has regained full rights to its dual chitinase inhibitor OATD-01 together with all the related IP and know-how, full drug substance and drug product inventory. This is the result of an ongoing corporate strategy and portfolio review by its partner Galapagos NV.

Marcin Szumowski, Molecure CEO commented “We have enjoyed a very productive relationship with Galapagos and are pleased that we have been able to regain rights to OATD-01, which we believe holds great promise in several respiratory indications. Data generated to date reveal an attractive benefit-risk profile for this asset, and we look forward to revising our clinical strategy for the further development and subsequent partnering of this program in the near future”.

Andre Hoekema, Ph.D., Chief Business Officer of Galapagos added “We are grateful to have had the opportunity to partner with Molecure and to work on OATD-01. However, as part of an ongoing strategic exercise to renew and accelerate our portfolio, we decided to return all rights to OATD-01 to Molecure, with the confidence that they will progress this promising asset through the next stages of development.”

The return of OATD-01 and associated chitinase inhibitor programs provides Molecure with a renewed opportunity to generate value for its shareholders.

Once the internal assessment of data, reports and information received from Galapagos is completed, Molecure considers to initially develop OATD-01 in sarcoidosis, its preferred and originally selected indication. The company will seek the optimum path forward in this indication, with the intention to conduct a Phase II proof-of-concept (PoC) study. This will likely be an international study recruiting patients in the United States and Europe, including Poland.

Molecure has regained (at no cost) the full and exclusive rights to the results of all research, pre-clinical and clinical development performed by Galapagos with OATD-01 over the course of the last 18 months. The non-refundable Eur27 million received by Molecure in November 2020 as part of the original licensing deal and right of first negotiation of other molecules from its chitinase platform could support this important Phase II clinical study.

Molecure believes that the studies performed by Galapagos together with the scientific advice received from the EMA are highly supportive of further progressing OATD-01 into phase II clinical trials in the near term.

Molecure is confident that a positive result from the planned Phase II PoC study in sarcoidosis patients would open the possibility for the company to partner OATD-01 and its chitinase inhibitor IP for the second time.

Molecure is committed to solving unmet medical needs of patients with interstitial lung diseases, inflammation driven fibrosis and cancer. The Company looks forward to further informing investors on the next steps in the planned clinical development for OATD-01 in the coming weeks.

Dr Samson Fung, Molecure CMO, commented “Sarcoidosis is a systemic disease of unknown cause that is characterized by the formation of immune granulomas in various organs, mainly the lungs and the lymphatic system. Sarcoidosis is a global disease, affecting both men and women with a prevalence of about 5–50 in 100 000, with 70% of the patients aged between 25 and 45 years. The most severe and frequent complication of sarcoidosis is the occurrence of pulmonary fibrosis. This is usually associated with significant impairment of pulmonary function. Pulmonary fibrosis results in the majority of deaths related to sarcoidosis in western countries. There is currently no cure for sarcoidosis and treatments only modify the granulomatous process and its clinical consequences. During preclinical development, OATD-01 has been shown to significantly decrease the disease burden in the lungs of treated animals. In patients, the over-expression of CHIT1, the target of OATD-01 is both a marker of severity and disease progression.”

 

For further information, please contact:

Molecure S.A. (PR & IR)                                               

Magdalena Licka

Email: m.licka@molecure.com

(+48) 512 777 001

 

MEDiSTRAVA Consulting (Financial PR)                                  

Frazer Hall, David Dible, Sandi Greenwood. Eleanor Perkin

Email: molecure@medistrava.com

 

About Molecure

Molecure is a clinical stage biotechnology company that uses its world leading medicinal chemistry and biology capabilities to discover and develop first-in-class small molecule drug candidates that directly modulate the function of RNA and underexplored protein targets to treat multiple incurable diseases.

Molecure has generated a diverse pipeline of eight distinct programs with the support of leading academic life science institutions globally, including the International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology in Warsaw (IIMCB), which has significant expertise in RNA science.

Molecure’s most advanced in-house compound is OATD-02, an oral, potent and selective first in class, dual arginase inhibitor (ARG1 and ARG2) for the treatment of cancer that is expected to advance to Phase 1 in the fourth quarter of 2022.

Molecure’s headquarters and laboratories are located in Warsaw, Poland with an additional laboratory facility in Łódź. The company is listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange (ticker: MOC).

For more information, please visit https://molecure.com/en/ LinkedIn: molecure-sa | Twitter: @molecure_sa | YouTube: Molecure SA

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