REG - Roquefort Theraptcs. - Development of New Novel siRNA Therapeutics

Roquefort TherapeuticsAnnouncement

07/08/2023 07:00

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RNS Number : 4842I  Roquefort Therapeutics PLC  07 August 2023

7 August 2023

 

Roquefort Therapeutics plc

("Roquefort Therapeutics" or the "Company")

 

Development of New Novel siRNA Therapeutics

Portfolio and IP position enhanced with expansion of novel siRNA medicines

 

Roquefort Therapeutics (LSE:ROQ, OTCQB:ROQAF), the Main Market listed biotech
company focused on developing first in class medicines in the high value and
high growth oncology market is pleased to announce the successful development
of new siRNA sequences and new patent filing for its family of novel
anti-cancer siRNA therapeutics.

 

Following the Company's acquisition of Oncogeni Ltd in September 2022, where
Roquefort Therapeutics acquired a portfolio of pioneering pre-clinical siRNA
anti-cancer medicines with significant in vivo efficacy, the Company's drug
discovery team, led by Vice President of Drug Discovery, Professor Graham
Robertson, has recently developed four additional siRNA sequences to
complement the existing siRNA portfolio.  The new siRNA sequences expand the
Company's portfolio of siRNA medicines that attack the targets STAT-6 (Signal
Transducer and Activator of Transcription) 1  (#_ftn1) and its SH2
(Src-homology-2) domain 2  (#_ftn2) .

 

The Company has recently completed a new patent filing to strengthen its siRNA
patent position to protect both the composition of matter and methods of use.

 

siRNA therapeutics are an innovative new class of medicines based on RNA
interference (RNAi), which was recognized with the 2006 Nobel Prize in
Medicine or Physiology and pioneered by a leading biotech company Alnylam
Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: ALNY) which recently completed a $2.8 billion
partnership with Roche (SWX: ROG) 3  (#_ftn3) .

 

The siRNA targets STAT-6 and SH2 were recently validated by Sanofi (NASDAQ:
SNY) in a licensing transaction with Recludix that included a US$125 million
upfront payment and represented a total deal value of up to US$1.2 billion 4 
(#_ftn4) for a program in the pre-clinical stage of development that targets
the SH2 domain of STAT6. Roquefort Therapeutic's siRNA programs are also in
pre-clinical development and target STAT-6 and the SH2 domain and have shown
significant in vivo anti-cancer activity (*p<0.05) in validated models of
colon cancer 5  (#_ftn5) .

 

The Company's siRNA sequences are being developed in combination with
nano-particle delivery systems to target the hard-to-treat, high mortality
solid cancers including colon and breast cancer with results expected in Q4
2023.

 

Ajan Reginald, Chief Executive Officer of Roquefort Therapeutics, said:

"We are encouraged by the recent commercial validations of both siRNA as a
therapeutic modality and STAT-6 and SH2 as highly attractive medicinal
targets. The recent multi-billion dollar licensing deals indicate a high level
of interest in this niche in which we were early innovators and were able to
acquire strong patent positions before the market valued these asset classes.
Our siRNA programs target the very attractive SH2 domain and have demonstrated
highly specific efficacy in validated STAT-6 models. The patents that we have
recently filed consolidate our leadership position in targeting STAT-6 and SH2
with siRNA.

 

In parallel to our R&D activities, our business development remains active
in what is becoming an attractive  market with current deal volumes 150%
higher than in Q2 2022 6  (#_ftn6) and M&A transactions forecast to exceed
the levels seen in 2022 7  (#_ftn7) . This market is reportedly driven by Big
Pharma's requirement for new products to replace the lost revenues expected as
a result of the "$200B patent cliff": $200 billion in annual pharma revenue at
risk through 2030 due to patent expirations 8  (#_ftn8) .

 

In this market, newly validated targets like STAT-6 and novel modalities like
siRNA are garnering high deal values because they offer the potential to
create first-in-class medicines which have a greater likelihood of generating
blockbuster (multi-billion dollar) revenues 9  (#_ftn9) .  Our strategy fits
this paradigm, whereby we create significant value by discovering these
first-in-class medicines before the market recognises them and enhancing their
value with targeted R&D to optimise the appeal to Big Pharma.

 

Our portfolio of five potential first-in-class medicines includes newly
validated targets (STAT-6 and Midkine) and novel modalities (siRNA, mRNA and
cell therapy) and so, we are well positioned to create significant shareholder
value in this market and will continue delivering the R&D results that Big
Pharma are looking for."

 

-Ends-

 

Enquiries:
 Roquefort Therapeutics plc
 Stephen West (Chairman) / Ajan Reginald (CEO)  +44 (0)20 3918 8633

 Hybridan LLP (Joint Broker)

 Claire Louise Noyce                            +44 (0)203 764 2341

 Optiva Securities Limited (Joint Broker)
 Christian Dennis                               +44 (0)20 3411 1881

 Buchanan (Public Relations)

 Ben Romney / Jamie Hooper / George Beale       +44 (0)20 7466 5000

 

LEI: ‎254900P4SISIWOR9RH34

 

About Roquefort Therapeutics

Roquefort Therapeutics (LSE:ROQ, OTCQB:ROQAF) is a Main Market listed biotech
company developing first in class drugs in the high value and high growth
oncology segment prior to partnering or selling to big pharma.

 

Since listing in March 2021, Roquefort Therapeutics has successfully acquired
Lyramid Pty Limited, a leader in the development of medicines for a new
therapeutic target, Midkine (a human growth factor associated with cancer
progression), and most recently acquired Oncogeni Ltd, founded by Nobel
Laureate Professor Sir Martin Evans, which has developed two families of
innovative cell and RNA oncology medicines.

 

Roquefort Therapeutics' portfolio consists of five fully funded, novel
patent-protected pre-clinical anti-cancer medicines.  The highly
complementary profile of four best-in-class medicines consists of:

·    Midkine antibodies with significant in vivo efficacy and toxicology
studies;

·    Midkine RNA therapeutics with novel anti-cancer gene editing action;

·    Midkine mRNA therapeutics with novel anti-cancer approach

·    STAT-6 siRNA therapeutics targeting solid tumours with significant in
vivo efficacy; and

·    MK cell therapy with direct and NK-mediated anti-cancer action.

 

For further information on Roquefort Therapeutics, please visit
www.roquefortplc.com (http://www.roquefortplc.com) and @RoquefortTherap on
Twitter.

 

 1  (#_ftnref1) Delgado-Ramirez Y, Colly V, Gonzalez GV, Leon-Cabrera S.
Signal transducer and activator of transcription 6 as a target in colon cancer
therapy. Oncol Lett. 2020 Jul;20(1):455-464. doi: 10.3892/ol.2020.11614. Epub
2020 May 13. PMID: 32565970; PMCID: PMC7285805

 2  (#_ftnref2) Morlacchi P, Robertson FM, Klostergaard J, McMurray JS.
Targeting SH2 domains in breast cancer. Future Med Chem. 2014;6(17):1909-26.
doi: 10.4155/fmc.14.120. PMID: 25495984; PMCID: PMC4339284

 3  (#_ftnref3)
https://www.biopharma-reporter.com/Article/2023/07/27/alnylam-partners-with-roche-to-develop-rnai-therapeutic-for-hypertension

 4  (#_ftnref4)
https://www.biocentury.com/article/648645/july-20-quick-takes-via-its-second-preclinical-deal-this-week-sanofi-gains-recludix-s-oral-stat6-inhibitor

 5  (#_ftnref5)
https://www.roquefortplc.com/sites/default/files/content-files/ROQ-Acquisition-of-Oncogeni_June2022-FINAL-1.pdf

 6  (#_ftnref6)
https://www.pharmaceutical-technology.com/dashboards/deals-dashboards/global-ma-activity-pharmaceutical-industry/:~:text=In%20the%20global%20pharmaceutical%20industry,the%20industry's%20largest%20disclosed%20deal.

 7  (#_ftnref7)
https://www.ft.com/content/e03d746c-e74c-4e95-8d12-d1edef2880d7

 8  (#_ftnref8)
https://www.biopharmadive.com/news/pharma-patent-cliff-biologic-drugs-humira-keytruda/642660/

 9  (#_ftnref9) Spring et al., Nature Reviews Drug Discovery 22, 531-532
(2023)

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