REG - Oxford Biomedica PLC - Update to agreement with Sio Gene Therapies

Oxford BioMedicaAnnouncement

01/02/2022 07:00

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RNS Number : 2317A  Oxford Biomedica PLC  01 February 2022

 

Oxford Biomedica announces that Sio Gene Therapies intends to cease the
license agreement for gene therapy programme in Parkinson's disease

 

-       Negligible financial impact on Oxford Biomedica in the short and
medium term

-       Non-core, legacy asset to be returned and out-licensed again in
due course

-       Oxford Biomedica fully focused as a global vector-agnostic gene
and cell therapy innovative CDMO

 

Oxford, UK - 1 February, 2022: Oxford Biomedica plc (LSE:OXB) ("Oxford
Biomedica" or "the Company"), a leading gene and cell therapy group, announces
that it was informed on Monday 31 January by Sio Gene Therapies (Sio) that Sio
intends to return the global rights for AXO-Lenti-PD and that they intend to
cease work on this gene therapy programme in Parkinson's Disease. This follows
Sio's announcement yesterday about the resignation of their CEO where Sio also
indicated a constraint on resource requirements that has caused Sio to
deprioritise the programme. All rights shall be returned to Oxford Biomedica
at no cost to the Company.

 

Current status of programme

Sio is currently conducting a Phase 2 SUNRISE-PD trial with AXO-Lenti-PD. In
October 2020, Sio announced positive six-month follow up data from the second
cohort of the trial, showing a 21-point mean improvement in UPDRS Part III
'OFF' score, a 40% improvement from baseline based on the two evaluable
patients in the study. AXO-Lenti-PD continued to be shown to be well-tolerated
with no treatment-related serious adverse events at six months. To date, six
patients have been dosed in the Phase 2 study. Oxford Biomedica originally
out-licensed AXO-Lenti-PD (previously named OXB-102) to Sio Gene Therapies
(previously called Axovant Gene Therapies), in June 2018.

 

Financial guidance

The Company expects that the impact on revenue will be negligible over at
least the coming 24 month period as no financial milestones were expected in
the short and medium-term.

 

Next steps

Oxford Biomedica does not plan to invest in the development of this non-core
legacy asset and plans to out-license it again in due course to a suitable
partner with resource capabilities and funding to further develop this
asset.

 

Dr. Roch Doliveux, Chair and Interim CEO of Oxford Biomedica, commented:
"Following our announcement on Friday, Oxford Biomedica's goal is to become an
innovative global viral vector leader that provides solutions to Cell and Gene
Therapy for their process development and manufacturing needs across key viral
vectors. The Parkinson's programme is non-core to our strategy."

 

 

Enquiries

 

Oxford Biomedica plc

Stuart Paynter, Chief Financial Officer

Sophia Bolhassan, Head of Investor Relations

T: +44 (0)1865 783 000 / E: ir@oxb.com

 

Consilium Strategic Communications

Mary-Jane Elliott / Matthew Neal

T: +44 (0)7720 088 468

E: oxfordbiomedica@consilium-comms.com
(mailto:oxfordbiomedica@consilium-comms.com)

 

 

About Oxford Biomedica

Oxford Biomedica (LSE:OXB) is a leading, fully integrated, gene and cell
therapy group. In January 2022, Oxford Biomedica announced that it was
broadening its leading viral vector offerings by incorporating Homology
Medicines' established AAV capabilities into a newly formed AAV Manufacturing
and Innovation Business in the US with Homology Medicines as a 20% owner. To
date, Oxford Biomedica and its subsidiaries (the "Group") have built a sector
leading lentiviral vector delivery platform (LentiVector®), which the Group
leverages to develop in vivo and ex vivo products both in-house and with
partners. The Group has created a valuable proprietary portfolio of gene and
cell therapy product candidates in the areas of oncology, CNS disorders and
liver diseases. The Group has also entered into a number of partnerships,
including with Novartis, Bristol Myers Squibb, Boehringer Ingelheim, Beam
Therapeutics, Arcellx, Cabaletta, Orchard Therapeutics and Santen, through
which it has long-term economic interests in other potential gene and cell
therapy products. Additionally, the Group has signed a 3-year master supply
and development agreement with AstraZeneca for large-scale manufacturing of
the adenoviral based COVID-19 vaccine, AZD1222. Oxford Biomedica is based
across several locations in Oxfordshire, UK and employs more than 740 people.
Further information is available at www.oxb.com (http://www.oxb.com) .

 

 

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