REG - Roquefort Theraptcs. - Operations Update

Roquefort TherapeuticsAnnouncement

09/01/2023 07:00

For best results when printing this announcement, please click on link below:
http://newsfile.refinitiv.com/getnewsfile/v1/story?guid=urn:newsml:reuters.com:20230109:nRSI9900La&default-theme=true

RNS Number : 9900L  Roquefort Therapeutics PLC  09 January 2023

9 January 2023

 

Roquefort Therapeutics plc

("Roquefort Therapeutics" or the "Company")

 

Operational Update

 

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 provide an update on progress on its
pre-clinical drug development programs, the hiring of a senior expert cancer
research scientist and out-licencing discussions.

 

Pre-Clinical Drug Development Programs

During the final quarter of 2022, the Company continued to progress its four
fully funded, novel patent-protected pre-clinical anti-cancer medicines
through a combination of partnerships with leading academic cancer research
centres and at the Company's state of the art laboratory in
Stratford-upon-Avon.

 

With the programs focused on the pre-clinical development of the Midkine
antibodies, Midkine RNA and STAT-6 siRNA, the Company has recently signed
partnership agreements and commenced pre-clinical development programs with
the following leading academic cancer research centres:

·    Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute, La Trobe University,
Melbourne

o  Breast cancer metastasis antibody programs

·    Lowy Cancer Research Centre, University of New South Wales

o  Liver and Colorectal cancer Midkine RNA and STAT-6 siRNA programs

·    Hawkins Laboratory Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe University,
Melbourne

o  Lung cancer metastasis antibody programs

·    School of Medical Sciences, University of Sydney

o  Midkine RNA programs

 

With the MK cell therapy development program the Company is utilising its
state of the art laboratory in Stratford-upon-Avon to develop the program
in-house. The laboratory includes a clean room, laminar flow cabinets and
cryopreservation infrastructure required for pre-clinical development of
innovative new medicines, particularly cell and gene therapies.  The
laboratory is staffed by a team led by newly appointed Dr Emma Morris and six
laboratory scientists.

 

Senior Scientific Appointment

Dr Emma Morris has been appointed as Head of Pre-clinical Research.  Dr
Morris' previous experience includes Operational Scientific Director at the UK
Health Security Rosalind Franklin Laboratory and Senior Researcher in Cancer
research at the University of Oxford.  Dr Morris is a graduate of the
University of Oxford with a DPhil in Molecular Biology from the Ludwig
Institute for Cancer Research.

 

Out-Licencing Discussions

In line with the Company's strategy, Roquefort Therapeutics has initiated
out-licensing discussions with multiple large biopharmaceutical companies.
These licencing discussions are focused on partnerships for:

1.    the Company's core cancer therapeutic programs: Midkine antibodies,
Midkine RNA therapeutics, STAT-6 siRNA therapeutics and MK cell therapy; and

2.    non-core applications such as diagnostics, biomarker detection and
therapy areas outside of cancer.

 

The Company will update the market on the progress of out-licencing
discussions as they progress.

 

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

"During a busy final quarter of 2022, we completed the integration of the
Oncogeni portfolio, welcomed Dr Morris to the team as Head of Pre-clinical
Research and enhanced our network of partnerships with leading academic cancer
research centres. These partners complement our own world-class in-house
expertise and laboratory infrastructure and enable us to implement a broader
and more effective development strategy. This distributed R&D model is
highly scalable and cost effective.

 

"In parallel, we accelerated our business development activities by meeting a
number of the leading large pharmaceutical companies to introduce the Company
and present our programs. This has enabled us to accelerate our out-licensing
strategy in both core and non-core applications.  We start 2023 with
significant momentum and look forward to updating the market on our progress
in due course."

 

-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 four 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;

·    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.

 

This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United Kingdom. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution of this information may apply. For further information, please contact
rns@lseg.com (mailto:rns@lseg.com)
 or visit
www.rns.com (http://www.rns.com/)
.

RNS may use your IP address to confirm compliance with the terms and conditions, to analyse how you engage with the information contained in this communication, and to share such analysis on an anonymised basis with others as part of our commercial services. For further information about how RNS and the London Stock Exchange use the personal data you provide us, please see our
Privacy Policy (https://www.lseg.com/privacy-and-cookie-policy)
.   END  UPDKZGGMDVKGFZM