REG - Roquefort Theraptcs. - Significant Mesodermal Killer Cell Milestone

Roquefort TherapeuticsAnnouncement

06/11/2023 07:00

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RNS Number : 4114S  Roquefort Therapeutics PLC  06 November 2023

6 November 2023

 

Roquefort Therapeutics plc

("Roquefort Therapeutics" or the "Company")

Significant Mesodermal Killer Cell Milestone

 

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, announces that the Mesodermal killer ("MK") cell
program has reached a significant milestone.

 

As announced in September 2022, the Company's MK cells are a proprietary and
novel class of cellular medicine. While MK cells kill cancer cells directly,
their more profound effect is the activation of natural killer ("NK") cells.
As previously announced, this direct killing of cancer cells and activation of
NK cells to increase cytotoxicity have each been demonstrated in validated in
vivo models of lymphoma and myeloma.

 

In the new results announced today, MK cells were tested in combination with
NK cells and showed: (1) the activation of NK cells; and (2) that this
activation produced up to a two-fold increase in cytotoxicity over NK cells
alone in three different difficult to treat cancers, which was statistically
significant*:

·    Ovarian cancer
       (P<0.01)

·    Acute myeloid leukemia
               (P<0.05)

·    Multiple myeloma
   (P<0.01)

 

This demonstration of the activation of NK cells in multiple cancer types
including solid tumours, lymphomas and leukaemia is a significant commercial
milestone because the NK cell activation is a highly attractive modality for
large pharmaceutical companies. The recent transactions in this niche market
include the $1.4B partnership between Sanofi and Innate Pharma 1  (#_ftn1) and
>$300M Gilead and Dragonfly Therapeutics transaction 2  (#_ftn2) for Innate
and Dragonfly's proprietary activators of NK cells.

 

The Company's MK cells will now progress into further in vivo studies in
validated models of NK cell activation and cancer cytotoxicity.

 

Roquefort Therapeutics CEO Ajan Reginald said:

"This is an excellent set of results which demonstrates the Company's strategy
to select and acquire novel medicines and to rapidly develop them to reach
significant commercial milestones.

 

"Our MK cells combined with natural killer cells show a profound cancer
killing effect across solid tumours, lymphoma and leukaemia. The NK cell
activator is a highly attractive market niche with a number of recent high
value transactions. Today's results build on the excellent results we have
reported for our siRNA and Midkine programs.

 

"Our portfolio is attracting interest from Big Pharma and private equity, and
in line with our strategy, we are engaged in discussions with these potential
partners. In the meantime, we will continue to deliver these value enhancing
milestones across our programs on time and within budget."

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 novel patent-protected
pre-clinical anti-cancer medicines.  The highly complementary profile of five
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 cell-mediated anti-cancer action

 

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

(#_ftnref1) *P<0.05 or P<0.01 respectively denote the levels of
statistical significance; i.e. that there is a less than 5% or 1% likelihood
that these results are 'chance
findings'https://www.fiercebiotech.com/biotech/gilead-follows-big-pharma-peers-dragonflys-pond-300m-deal-nk-cell-engagers

 1 
https://www.biospace.com/article/sanofi-deepens-nk-cell-therapy-partnership-with-innate-pharma/
(https://www.biospace.com/article/sanofi-deepens-nk-cell-therapy-partnership-with-innate-pharma/)

 2  (#_ftnref2)
https://www.fiercebiotech.com/biotech/gilead-follows-big-pharma-peers-dragonflys-pond-300m-deal-nk-cell-engagers
(https://www.fiercebiotech.com/biotech/gilead-follows-big-pharma-peers-dragonflys-pond-300m-deal-nk-cell-engagers)

 

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