RCS - PureTech Health PLC - PRTC's Seaport Publishes New Glyph Platform Data

Puretech HealthAnnouncement

12/02/2025 12:15

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RNS Number : 7995W  PureTech Health PLC  12 February 2025

12 February 2025

 

PureTech Health plc

 

PureTech Founded Entity Seaport Therapeutics Announces the Publication of New
Research Demonstrating Increased Lymphatic Transport with up to 55 Percent
Drug Absorption via Lymphatics with Glyph(TM) Platform

 

Published data shows new site of Glyph prodrug attachment demonstrated highest
reported level of lymphatic transport to date of the studied immunomodulatory
drug

 

New linkers display up to two-fold higher release in lymph nodes compared to
top-performing previously reported linkers

 

Research builds on prior evidence supporting the versatility of Glyph platform

 

PureTech Health plc (https://puretechhealth.com/) (Nasdaq: PRTC, LSE: PRTC)
("PureTech" or the "Company"), a clinical-stage biotherapeutics company, noted
that its Founded Entity, Seaport Therapeutics (https://seaporttx.com/) ,
("Seaport") a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company that is advancing novel
neuropsychiatric medicines with a proven strategy and team, today announced
the publication of new data showcasing the Glyph(TM) platform's unique ability
to enhance drug transport through the lymphatic system for increased
therapeutic exposure. The paper, published in Molecular Pharmaceutics
(https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.4c01272) , is the first to
show the impact of changing the drug attachment point of a lymph-directed
prodrug on lymphatic drug transport and targeted drug exposure. It also
deepens the evidence supporting Glyph's ability to render a wide variety of
molecules, including immunomodulators, more amenable to lymphatic transport
and thus providing them with direct access to the immune system.

 

The full text of the announcement from Seaport is as follows:

 

Seaport Therapeutics Announces the Publication of New Research Demonstrating
Increased Lymphatic Transport with up to 55 Percent Drug Absorption via
Lymphatics with Glyph(TM) Platform

 

Published data shows new site of Glyph prodrug attachment demonstrated highest
reported level of lymphatic transport to date of the studied immunomodulatory
drug

 

New linkers display up to two-fold higher release in lymph nodes compared to
top-performing previously reported linkers

 

Research builds on prior evidence supporting the versatility of Glyph platform

 

BOSTON, February 12, 2025 Ð Seaport Therapeutics (https://seaporttx.com/)
("Seaport" or the "Company"), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company that
is advancing novel neuropsychiatric medicines with a proven strategy and team,
today announced the publication of new data showcasing the Glyph(TM)
platform's unique ability to enhance drug transport through the lymphatic
system for increased therapeutic exposure. The paper, published in Molecular
Pharmaceutics (https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.4c01272) ,
is the first to show the impact of changing the drug attachment point of a
lymph-directed prodrug on lymphatic drug transport and targeted drug exposure.
It also deepens the evidence supporting Glyph's ability to render a wide
variety of molecules, including immunomodulators, more amenable to lymphatic
transport and thus providing them with direct access to the immune system.

 

The study evaluated ways of modifying mycophenolic acid (MPA), an
immunomodulatory drug, to improve its absorption through the lymphatic system,
and increase its concentration in lymph nodes, shown in preclinical models.
Specifically, a comparison between distinct attachment points on the same drug
molecule was made. A newly examined phenol attachment point showed the highest
lymphatic transport of MPA reported to date - approximately 55 percent - and
up to two-fold higher release in lymph nodes compared to the previously
reported acid attachment point. The research demonstrated the impact of linker
characteristics on the extent of lymphatic transport and release in the lymph
nodes. Overall, these results help to underscore the benefits of a tailored
lymphatic-targeting prodrug design approach.

 

"This research expands our understanding of lymphatic delivery and offers new
insights for more effectively designing drugs with higher exposures at their
intended targets, including immunomodulatory drugs used to treat a wide range
of diseases," said Christopher Porter, Ph.D., an original Co-inventor of the
Glyph technology and Director of the Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical
Sciences at Monash University in Melbourne. "This study highlights the
importance of integrating a careful and individualized balance of intestinal
stability, transport efficiency and release in the mesenteric lymph nodes to
maximize therapeutic exposures as part of a tailored prodrug design approach."

 

With the Glyph platform, drugs are absorbed like dietary fats through the
intestinal lymphatic system and transported into circulation. The Glyph
platform has the potential to be widely applied to many therapeutic molecules
that have high first-pass metabolism leading to low bioavailability and/or
side effects, including liver enzyme elevations or hepatotoxicity. Seaport
exclusively licensed this technology from Monash University based on the
pioneering research of the Porter Research Group, including co-inventors
Professor Porter and Jamie Simpson, Ph.D., who is now Head of Chemistry at
Seaport Therapeutics.

 

"Our Glyph platform allows for a bespoke design approach, and this research
reinforces the significance of the innovation behind our prodrug chemistry
technology," said Daniel Bonner, Ph.D., Co-founder, Senior Vice President,
Platform, at Seaport Therapeutics. "Most importantly, Glyph has been
clinically validated with demonstrated proof-of-concept data in humans and is
being applied across Seaport's pipeline of novel neuropsychiatric medicines,
with enormous potential across a broad range of applications beyond CNS and
neuropsychiatry."

 

About the Glyph(TM) Platform

Glyph(TM) is Seaport's proprietary technology platform which uses the
lymphatic system to enable and enhance the oral administration of drugs. With
the Glyph platform, drugs are absorbed like dietary fats through the
intestinal lymphatic system and transported into circulation. The Glyph
platform has the potential to be widely applied to many therapeutic molecules
that have high first-pass metabolism leading to low bioavailability and/or
side effects, including liver enzyme elevations or hepatotoxicity. Seaport
exclusively licensed this technology from Monash University based on the
pioneering research of the Porter Research Group. Advanced initially at
PureTech Health and now at Seaport, Glyph has been applied to create
therapeutic candidates for the Company's pipeline resulting in new
intellectual property, including composition of matter. The group and its
collaborators have published research in Nature Metabolism
(https://www.nature.com/articles/s42255-021-00457-w) , Frontiers in
Pharmacology (https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2022.879660) , Journal of
Controlled Release
(https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168365921000717?via%3Dihub)
 and Molecular Pharmaceutics
(https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.4c01272) supporting the
Glyph platformÕs capabilities. See Glyph in action here
(https://seaporttx.com/our-pipeline/#glyph_in_action) .

 

About Seaport Therapeutics

Seaport Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company advancing
the development of novel neuropsychiatric medicines in areas of high unmet
patient needs. The Company has a proven strategy of advancing clinically
validated mechanisms previously held back by limitations that are overcome
with its proprietary Glyph(TM) technology platform. All the therapeutic
candidates in its pipeline of first and best-in-class medicines are based on
the Glyph platform, which is uniquely designed to enable oral bioavailability,
bypass first-pass metabolism and reduce liver enzyme elevations or
hepatotoxicity and other side effects. Seaport is led by an experienced team
that invented and advanced important neuropsychiatric medicines and are guided
by an extensive network of renowned scientists, clinicians and key opinion
leaders. For more information, please visit www.seaporttx.com
(http://www.seaporttx.com/) .

 

About PureTech Health

PureTech is a clinical-stage biotherapeutics company dedicated to giving life
to new classes of medicine to change the lives of patients with devastating
diseases. The Company has created a broad and deep pipeline through its
experienced research and development team and its extensive network of
scientists, clinicians and industry leaders that is being advanced both
internally and through its Founded Entities. PureTech's R&D engine has
resulted in the development of 29 therapeutics and therapeutic candidates,
including three that have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration. A number of these programs are being advanced by PureTech or
its Founded Entities in various indications and stages of clinical
development, including registration enabling studies. All of the underlying
programs and platforms that resulted in this pipeline of therapeutic
candidates were initially identified or discovered and then advanced by the
PureTech team through key validation points.

 

For more information, visit www.puretechhealth.com
(http://www.puretechhealth.com) or connect with us on X (formerly Twitter)
@puretechh.

 

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains statements that are or may be forward-looking
statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act
of 1995. All statements contained in this press release that do not relate to
matters of historical fact should be considered forward-looking statements,
including without limitation those related to SeaportÕs development plans for
its pipeline of neuropsychiatric therapeutics based on the Glyph Platform, the
applicability of the platform beyond neuropsychiatry, potential benefits to
patients, and Seaport's and our future prospects, developments and strategies.
The forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and are
subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors
that could cause actual results, performance and achievements to differ
materially from current expectations, including, but not limited to, those
risks, uncertainties and other important factors described under the caption
"Risk Factors" in our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December
31, 2023, filed with the SEC and in our other regulatory filings. These
forward-looking statements are based on assumptions regarding the present and
future business strategies of the Company and the environment in which it will
operate in the future. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as at the
date of this press release. Except as required by law and regulatory
requirements, we disclaim any obligation to update or revise these
forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future
events or otherwise.

 

Contact:

PureTech

Public Relations

publicrelations@puretechhealth.com (mailto:publicrelations@puretechhealth.com)

Investor Relations

IR@puretechhealth.com (mailto:IR@puretechhealth.com)

 

UK/EU Media

Ben Atwell, Rob Winder

+44 (0) 20 3727 1000

puretech@fticonsulting.com (mailto:puretech@fticonsulting.com)

 

US Media

Justin Chen

+1 609 578 7230

justin@tenbridgecommunications.com (mailto:justin@tenbridgecommunications.com)

 

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