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Alan Green covers Clontarf Energy #CLON, Voyager Life (M3 Helium) #VOY & Poolbeg Pharma #POLB on this week’s Stockbox Research Talks
Alan Green covers Clontarf Energy #CLON, Voyager Life (M3 Helium) #VOY & Poolbeg Pharma #POLB on this week’s Stockbox Research Talks
Poolbeg Pharma #POLB – CEO Jeremy Skillington talks to Alan Green
Poolbeg Pharma CEO Jeremy Skillington talks to Alan Green, and recaps on the developments at the company since last year. These include the strategic collaboration with a Nasdaq-Listed Biopharma Co to use Poolbeg’s oral delivery technology, the expansion of Poolbeg’s IP, and the appointment t of a number of key former Amryt Pharma executives, namely David Allmond, John McEvoy and Laura Maher. Jeremy highlights the recent progress with the flagship POLB 001 and its potential in both preventing and treating cancer immunotherapy-induced CRS (Cytokine Release Syndrome), and then looks at the Oral GLP-1R agonist and the latest from the AI collaboration with CytoReason. We finish by looking at the team, which now includes Cathal Friel who has returned to the helm as Exec Chairman, the robust financial position and upcoming milestones for 2024.
Poolbeg Pharma #POLB August 2023 – CEO Jeremy Skillington talks to Alan Green
Poolbeg CEO Jeremy Skillington talks to Alan Green in this August 2023 interview, and explains the company’s ‘capital light’ model that is giving the group a real market advantage. Jeremy then covers the developments this year with Poolbeg’s flagship POLB001 asset towards a blockbuster treatment for severe influenza, and the expansion of application into oncology and obesity. We then discuss joint ventures with AnaBio Technologies in the EncOVac consortium and the Cytoreason AI collaboration, before looking at Jeremy’s own aspirations and thoughts for Poolbeg’s future.
Alan Green provides a SoTP valuation for Power Metal Resources #POW & covers Poolbeg Pharma #POLB on this week’s Stockbox Research Talks
Alan Green provides a SoTP valuation for Power Metal Resources #POW & covers Poolbeg Pharma #POLB on this week’s Stockbox Research Talks
Link here to view the comparison valuation table: POW_SOPTValuation_050323
New Vox Markets Podcast with our CEO Alan Green out now
New Vox Markets Podcast #podcast with our CEO Alan Green discussing:
– Poolbegb Pharma #POLB
– Amryt Pharma (Nasdaq: #AMYT)
– Georgia Capital #CGEO
– Marula Mining #MARU
https://www.voxmarkets.co.uk/articles/alan-green-talks-about-poolbeg-pharma-georgia-capital-marula-mining-b8602ad/
Poolbeg Pharma #POLB – POLB 001 LPS human challenge clinical trial successfully completed & no serious adverse events reported.
12 December 2022 – Poolbeg Pharma (AIM: POLB, OTCQB: POLBF, ‘Poolbeg’ or the ‘Company’), a leading infectious disease focused biopharmaceutical company, announces that, further to its announcement in July 2022, it has now received the initial results having completed the Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) human challenge clinical trial for POLB 001, a viral strain agnostic, small molecule immunomodulator being developed to address the unmet medical need for severe influenza.
Key highlights from the study:
· No further clinical activity is required to complete the objectives of the trial, bringing the recruitment and clinical phase to a close on schedule
· No serious adverse events reported. POLB 001 was found to be safe and well tolerated
· Data analysis has commenced and full data read-out is expected in Q2 2023
· The comprehensive dataset is expected to facilitate progression of the product to the next clinical phase for potential partners
This LPS challenge trial was designed to evaluate the effect of POLB 001 on inflammatory responses in 36 healthy volunteers between 18 and 55 years of age following an intradermal and an intravenous LPS challenge. LPS acts as a surrogate for the hyperinflammatory response associated with severe influenza and other diseases.
POLB 001 is a unique potential treatment for viruses such as severe influenza as it is strain agnostic, unlike other flu treatments and prophylactics. This means that it can be effective regardless of which strain of influenza is dominant in any particular season or geography. As a shelf-stable, oral drug it could also be ideal as a stockpiling candidate for both seasonal outbreaks and pandemic preparedness.
Jeremy Skillington, PhD, CEO of Poolbeg Pharma, said:
“We have completed our first trial on schedule, achieving a key milestone for Poolbeg, thanks to the committed efforts of the team. We are actively planning the next steps for POLB 001 and are engaging with industry on potential partnering opportunities.
“The threat of influenza shouldn’t be underestimated. Cases are on the rise – the WHO estimates that there are 3-5 million severe influenza cases globally per year, with real pandemic potential. Severe influenza can also lead to other major complications such as pneumonia and stroke. There is a significant unmet need for severe influenza treatments, so we eagerly anticipate the full results of this study next year.”
Matthijs Moerland, PhD, Principal Investigator at CHDR, said:
“LPS human challenge trials are a highly reliable way of measuring the efficacy of anti-inflammatory drugs and these initial data are an important first step. We are pleased to be involved in the development of a potential treatment for such an unmet need as severe influenza and we look forward to the vital insights that the full analysis will bring.”
-Ends-
Enquiries
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Poolbeg Pharma Plc Jeremy Skillington, CEO Ian O’Connell, CFO
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+44 (0) 207 183 1499 |
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finnCap Ltd (Nominated Adviser & Joint Broker) Geoff Nash, Charlie Beeson, Nigel Birks, Harriet Ward (ECM)
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+44 (0) 207 220 0500 |
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Singer Capital Markets (Joint Broker) Phil Davies, Sam Butcher
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+44 (0) 207 496 3000 |
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J&E Davy (Joint Broker) Anthony Farrell, Niall Gilchrist
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+353 (0) 1 679 6363 |
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Optimum Strategic Communications Mary Clark, Nick Bastin, Manel Mateus, Vici Rabbetts
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+44 (0) 208 078 4357 poolbeg@optimumcomms.com |
About Poolbeg Pharma
Poolbeg Pharma specialises in the development of innovative medicines to address the unmet need in prevalent and emerging infectious diseases. Poolbeg has a disciplined portfolio approach to mitigate risk, accelerate drug development and enhance investor returns. The Company simultaneously advances multiple programmes in cost-effective clinical trials, rapidly generating early human safety and efficacy data to enable early partnering / out-licensing, with the funds generated reinvested in the pipeline. Poolbeg also uses AI to interrogate human challenge trial data sets to quickly identify new targets and drugs, and in-license near or in the clinic medicines, leading to faster development and greater commercial appeal.
The Company is targeting the growing infectious disease market. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, infectious disease has become one of the fastest growing pharma markets and is expected to exceed $250bn by 2025.
With its initial assets from hVIVO plc (formerly Open Orphan plc), an industry leading infectious disease and human challenge trials business, Poolbeg has access to knowledge, experience, and clinical data from over 20 years of human challenge trials. The Company is using these insights to acquire new assets as well as reposition clinical stage products, reducing spend and risk. Amongst its portfolio of exciting assets, Poolbeg has a small molecule immunomodulator for severe influenza (POLB 001) which has completed its LPS human challenge trial with full data read-out expected in Q2 2023; a first-in-class, intranasally administered RNA-based immunotherapy for respiratory virus infections (POLB 002); and a vaccine candidate for Melioidosis (POLB 003). The Company is also developing an Oral Vaccine Platform and is progressing two Artificial Intelligence (AI) Programmes to accelerate the power of its human challenge model data and biobank, with results from the first programme expected by year end.
For more information, please go to www.poolbegpharma.com or follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn @PoolbegPharma.
Further detail on POLB 001
This trial is a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multiple dose, LPS human challenge trial in 36 healthy volunteers to assess the potential efficacy of POLB 001 in treating the hyperinflammatory responses associated with severe influenza. As part of the trial, researchers stimulated the immune systems of healthy volunteers with LPS across three cohorts. LPS triggers a robust immune response and acts as a surrogate for the hyperinflammatory effects associated with severe influenza infection, as well as other diseases. Each cohort received escalating doses of POLB 001 to evaluate its effectiveness in suppressing the body’s harmful inflammatory response to both intradermal (a shallow injection) and intravenous (an injection in a vein) administered LPS, which will produce a broad-ranging dataset.
Given POLB 001’s mode of action, it is viral strain agnostic as it treats the body’s reaction to infection rather than targeting the virus directly and, as such, POLB 001 is unaffected by the seasonal variants of influenza that arise each year which is a significant advantage over influenza treatments available on the market. Therefore, POLB 001 has the potential to be a transformational treatment for patients and to become a leading severe influenza treatment. POLB 001 has patent protection until 2038 and is a shelf-stable oral drug which makes it ideal as a stockpiling candidate for both seasonal outbreaks and pandemic preparedness.
POLB 001 also has potential therapeutic applications beyond severe influenza, due to its mode of action of reducing hyperinflammation (cytokine storm). This is when harmful inflammation occurs in different areas of the body, such as the heart and lungs, causing organ damage which is linked with many diseases. POLB 001 has the potential to block this by interrupting the positive feedback loop of inflammatory mediators. Poolbeg is currently investigating new potential uses and in due course hopes to expand its IP around this asset to cover new disease areas thereby increasing the value of the asset.
The data collected in the previous Phase I study demonstrated that POLB 001 administration produces a potent and long-lasting inhibition of p38 MAP Kinase activity in humans. The study showed that after administration of single doses up to 600 mg and repeated doses up to 150 mg there were neither serious nor limiting adverse events to POLB 001, and that after a twice daily dose of 150mg an inhibition of LPS-induced TNFα of between 70% and 90% was achieved.
About Influenza
Influenza is a viral pathogen that infects approximately one-eighth of the world’s population each year, an estimated 1 billion people infected globally, attacking the respiratory system leading to between 5 and 10 million hospitalisations and as many as 500,000 influenza related deaths. Survivors of severe influenza can suffer organ damage, leading to chronic and life-changing injuries. Complications include a 6-fold increased risk of heart attack, an 8-fold increased risk of Pneumonia, and an 8-fold increased risk of stroke. This leads to an enormous compound cost of treatment – influenza contributes to an estimated economic burden of $11.2bn every year in the US alone
Poolbeg Pharma #POLB – Influenza Artificial Intelligence model build completed & on track to deliver outputs in Q2 2023
Poolbeg Pharma (AIM: POLB, OTCQB: POLBF, ‘Poolbeg’ or the ‘Company’), a clinical stage infectious disease pharmaceutical company with a unique capital light clinical model, announces that, further to its announcement in March 2022 , the construction of the computational artificial intelligence (AI) influenza disease model has been completed by CytoReason Limited (‘CytoReason’), indicating that it is on track to deliver outputs in Q2 2023.
The model aims to unlock clinically meaningful insights into influenza infection and recovery through the analysis of Poolbeg’s unique human challenge trial data. CytoReason has now built a tailored AI model using Poolbeg’s data which will allow the team to identify novel influenza drug targets for Poolbeg.
CytoReason’s technologies are externally validated through its commercial partnerships with five of the world’s top ten global pharma companies accessing its world-leading AI models, including Pfizer, Roche, and Sanofi. CytoReason’s application of Poolbeg’s unique human challenge trial data to build and train its first AI model in infectious diseases further testifies to the value of this data.
CytoReason’s world leading algorithms and experts will enable the Poolbeg team to identify the most promising drug targets to treat disease. The Company plans to source drugs with existing Phase I safety data that, in line with the Poolbeg business model, can immediately continue clinical development to rapidly generate early human proof of concept data for influenza, with the ultimate aim of monetising the asset through partnerships and licensing deals with pharma and biotech.
Jeremy Skillington, PhD, CEO of Poolbeg Pharma, said:
“CytoReason builds world-class AI disease models and we look forward with great anticipation to the outputs from their analysis of our unique repository of clinical samples and associated data from influenza human challenge trials. Indeed this is the first time that AI is being used to analyse influenza human challenge trial data which Poolbeg is proud to be part of.”
“Completion of this first stage of development demonstrates yet another milestone reached in the Company’s stated R&D strategy and brings us one step closer to realising the significant opportunities that arise from this partnership. There is a growing focus on AI discovered drug targets within the industry and we are assessing interest in collaboration opportunities for our AI-enabled novel targets which we expect in Q2 2023 from this programme. “
David Harel, CEO of CytoReason, said:
“Now that our influenza disease model has been enriched by Poolbeg’s unparalleled data, we are excited to evaluate the novel disease mechanisms on our platform. This will potentially identify drug targets that can be used to develop treatments for influenza, a significant global health threat, in a much shorter time-frame and more cost effectively than with traditional reductionist analysis and drug discovery techniques.”
-Ends-
Enquiries
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Poolbeg Pharma Plc Jeremy Skillington, CEO Ian O’Connell, CFO
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+44 (0) 207 183 1499 |
|
finnCap Ltd (Nominated Adviser & Joint Broker) Geoff Nash, Charlie Beeson, Nigel Birks, Harriet Ward (ECM)
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+44 (0) 207 220 0500 |
|
Singer Capital Markets (Joint Broker) Phil Davies, Sam Butcher
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+44 (0) 207 496 3000 |
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J&E Davy (Joint Broker) Anthony Farrell, Niall Gilchrist
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+353 (0) 1 679 6363 |
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Instinctif Partners Melanie Toyne Sewell, Rozi Morris, Tim Field, Adam Loudon
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+44 (0) 20 7457 2020 |
Further detail on Poolbeg’s Artificial Intelligence Programmes
Poolbeg Pharma has access to a unique private repository of clinical samples and associated data from human challenge trials via its relationship with hVIVO plc (formerly Open Orphan plc), a resource which is anticipated to expand over the coming years.Data from human challenge trials are unique in that they track a healthy subject through disease to recovery in carefully controlled and monitored isolation units, collecting samples throughout the course of disease, and vitally collecting matched baseline and follow-up samples before and after infection. This data is unique in the depth of longitudinal virology, health, biomarker and symptom data collected during the course of disease. These datasets provide clinical insights into disease that guides Poolbeg Pharma’s product acquisitions and clinical development.
CytoReason’s machine learning algorithm works by combing through enormous repositories of clinical data to build models of human disease, which can then be used by biotech and pharmaceutical partners to identify novel targets, prioritise mono/combination therapies, find biomarkers, and understand which patients will benefit most from those new treatments. CytoReason will be analysing blood transcriptomics, proteomics, DNA sequences and viral loads and disease signs and symptoms from the human challenge trials. The aim is for CytoReason to prioritise new drug targets quickly and cost effectively, in a manner consistent with Poolbeg’s business model.
The Company is currently progressing two AI Programmes, the first in RSV in partnership with OneThree Biotech , and the second in influenza in partnership with CytoReason . Poolbeg believe that this is the first time that AI analysis has been undertaken on RSV and influenza human challenge trial data and samples to identify new drug targets and treatments. The unique nature of human challenge trials to produce disease progression data with high precision is revolutionising the insights into human disease.
About Influenza
Influenza is a viral pathogen that infects approximately one-eighth of the world’s population each year, an estimated 1 billion people infected globally, attacking the respiratory system leading to between 5 and 10 million hospitalisations and as many as 500,000 influenza related deaths. Survivors of influenza can suffer organ damage, leading to chronic and life-changing injuries. Health organisations have warned that the upcoming influenza season could be especially severe, as a consequence of low immunity to the virus due to the pandemic causing a break in exposure.
About Poolbeg Pharma
Poolbeg Pharma is a clinical stage infectious disease pharmaceutical company, with a unique capital light clinical model which aims to develop multiple products faster and more cost effectively than the conventional biotech model. The Company, headquartered in London, is led by a team with a track record of creation and delivery of shareholder value and aspires to become a “one-stop shop” for pharma and biotech seeking mid-stage products to license or acquire.
The Company is targeting the growing infectious disease market. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, infectious disease has become one of the fastest growing pharma markets and is expected to exceed $250bn by 2025.
With its initial assets from hVIVO plc (formerly named Open Orphan plc), an industry leading infectious disease and human challenge trials business, Poolbeg has access to knowledge, experience, and clinical data from over 20 years of human challenge trials. The Company is using these insights to acquire new assets as well as reposition clinical stage products, reducing spend and risk. Amongst its portfolio of exciting assets, Poolbeg has a small molecule immunomodulator for severe influenza (POLB 001) which has commenced its LPS human challenge trial with initial results expected by year end 2022; a first-in-class, intranasally administered RNA-based immunotherapy for respiratory virus infections (POLB 002); and a vaccine candidate for Melioidosis (POLB 003). The Company is also developing an oral vaccine delivery platform and is progressing two artificial intelligence (AI) programmes to accelerate the power of its human challenge model data and biobank, with results from the first programme expected by year end 2022.
For more information, please go to www.poolbegpharma.com or follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn @PoolbegPharma.
About CytoReason
CytoReason is a leading technology company developing computational disease models. The company collects proprietary data from pharmaceutical companies and uses it to simulate human diseases – tissue by tissue and cell by cell. With CytoReason’s massive database and AI-led platform, pharma and biotech companies can identify new opportunities, shorten trial phases, reduce development costs, and increase the likelihood of drug approval. To date, five of the world’s top ten pharma companies use CytoReason’s technology. For more information, visit www.cytoreason.com or follow us on LinkedIn or Twitter.
Markets and Stocks – Doc Holliday talks to Alan Green
As we head towards Christmas, Alan Green and Doc Holliday talk markets and stocks. We discuss the macro events in the UK and the opportunities that Brexit and inflation could be throwing up for UK agriculture before we turn to stocks. Doc covers Harland & Wolff #HARL, ECR Minerals #ECR, Contango Holdings #CGO, Emmerson #EML, Longboat Energy #LBE, Poolbeg Pharma #POLB, hVIVO #HVO, Reabold Resources #RBD and More Acquisitions #TMOR.
Poolbeg Pharma #POLB – Poolbeg-led consortium awarded EUR 2.3m grant
15 November 2022 – Poolbeg Pharma (AIM: POLB, OTCQB: POLBF, ‘Poolbeg’ or the ‘Company’), a clinical stage infectious disease pharmaceutical company with a unique capital light clinical model, announces that ‘EncOVac’, a consortium led by Poolbeg Pharma, has been awarded €2.3m in non-dilutive grant funding to progress its Oral Vaccine Platform under the Irish Government’s Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund (‘DTIF’).
Taking place over three years, the collaboration between Poolbeg Pharma, University College Dublin, Trinity College Dublin and AnaBio Technologies will result in the development of an oral vaccine candidate to a Phase I ready state. The resulting technology will serve as a platform for additional oral vaccine candidates for a wide range of pathogens, initially targeting bacterial infections. Poolbeg is proud to play a role in the development of the next generation of vaccine technologies that can protect the world from infectious diseases.
Poolbeg licensed AnaBio’s microencapsulation and nanoencapsulation technologies for use in the development and commercialisation of oral vaccines in January 2022 . By delivering vaccines to the gut, oral vaccines can trigger ‘mucosal immunity’ that results in a protective response in the areas of the body where a pathogen would be inhaled or ingested such as the nose and digestive tracts. In comparison to intramuscular injections which generate systemic immunity, this approach prevents infections from taking hold in the body by counteracting them at the point of entry. This has the effect of both reducing transmission and preventing serious disease. Oral vaccines also offer an efficient method of administration and significantly reduce challenges for distribution, addressing the gaps in supplying the global community as well as needle-phobia which factors in vaccine hesitancy.
Jeremy Skillington, PhD, CEO of Poolbeg Pharma said: “We are grateful for the support of the Irish Government in awarding this funding and delighted to be working with our consortium of high-quality partners in University College Dublin, Trinity College Dublin and AnaBio. The funding will support the progression of this exciting oral vaccine platform that has the potential to improve the ways vaccines are manufactured, distributed and administered for the future. Poolbeg continues to target non-dilutive funding opportunities and we are delighted that this DTIF award is our first success.”
Prof Siobhán McClean, Associate Professor at University College Dublin (“UCD”) said: “I am pleased to work with the other members of this consortium to bring the antigens my team have identified and developed, closer to the clinic so that together, we can protect people from infectious diseases.”
Prof Ed Lavelle, Professor of Immunology at Trinity College Dublin (“TCD”) said: “The pharmaceutical industry has long aspired to develop subunit oral vaccines and I believe we have assembled a consortium of experts and ground-breaking technologies that are uniquely placed to make them a reality.”
Dr Sinéad Bleiel, Founder & Chief Scientific Officer of AnaBio Technologies said: “Having demonstrated the potential of our encapsulation technology to deliver drug products safely and effectively to the gut, we are excited to collaborate with the EncOVac team of world class researchers, led by Poolbeg and supported by the Irish Government as part of the world’s renewed fight against infectious diseases.”
Prof Luke O’Neill, Non-Executive Director, Scientific Advisory Board and Project Advisory Board Chair said:“Oral vaccines are currently only available to treat a small number of pathogens and a more comprehensive approach to vaccine development is needed to design new, safe, and effective oral vaccines. Such a system would revolutionise our approach to protecting people from infectious diseases, unleashing their full potential.”
– Ends –
Enquiries
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Poolbeg Pharma Plc Jeremy Skillington, CEO Ian O’Connell, CFO
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+44 (0) 207 183 1499 |
|
finnCap Ltd (Nominated Adviser & Joint Broker) Geoff Nash, Charlie Beeson
|
+44 (0) 207 220 0500 |
|
Singer Capital Markets (Joint Broker) Phil Davies, Sam Butcher
|
+44 (0) 207 496 3000 |
|
J&E Davy (Joint Broker) Anthony Farrell, Niall Gilchrist
|
+353 (0) 1 679 6363 |
|
Instinctif Partners Melanie Toyne Sewell, Rozi Morris, Tim Field
|
+44 (0) 20 7457 2020 |
Notes to Editors
About EncOVac
Leveraging the pioneering work of Assoc. Professor Siobhán McClean in University College Dublin (“UCD”), the Consortium will use vaccine candidates identified in her lab as the basis for an oral vaccine that is generated through a highly specialized encapsulation process developed by Dr. Sinéad Bleiel of Anabio Technologies. Working with Ed Lavelle, vaccine adjuvant expert and a mucosal immunologist in Trinity College Dublin (“TCD”), the consortium will develop a vaccine candidate through pre-clinical testing to a Phase I ready state. Poolbeg has previously announced an exclusive license with Anabio for the use of their technology in vaccine delivery and has successfully in-licensed onevaccine candidate from UCD and continues to evaluate five other potential vaccine candidates developed by Associate Professor Siobhán McClean and her team.
About Oral Vaccines
By delivering vaccines to the gut, this approach can trigger ‘mucosal immunity’ that results in a protective response in the areas of the body where a pathogen would be inhaled or ingested such as the nose and digestive tracts. In comparison to intramuscular injections which generate systemic immunity, this approach prevents infections from taking hold in the body by counteracting them at the point of entry. This has the effect of both reducing transmission and preventing serious disease. Oral vaccines also offer an efficient method of administration and significantly reduce challenges for distribution, addressing the gaps in supplying the global community as well as needle-phobia which factors in vaccine hesitancy.
A recent World Health Organisation Report (“WHO”) estimated that the global market value for vaccines was approximately $33b in 2019, before the substantial investment arising from the pandemic. The development of an oral vaccine platform that could replace some injectable vaccines would serve to improve vaccination rates, address critical inequalities in distribution and help to create a healthier world.
About the Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund
The Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund (DTIF) is a €500 million fund established under the National Development Plan (NDP) in 2018. The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment manages the DTIF with administrative support from Enterprise Ireland. The purpose of the Fund is to drive collaboration between Ireland’s world-class research base and industry as well as facilitating enterprises to compete directly for funding in support of the development and adoption of these technologies. The aim is to support investment in the development and deployment of disruptive technologies and applications on a commercial basis.
About Poolbeg Pharma
Poolbeg Pharma is a clinical stage infectious disease pharmaceutical company, with a unique capital light clinical model which aims to develop multiple products faster and more cost effectively than the conventional biotech model. The Company, headquartered in London, is led by a team with a track record of creation and delivery of shareholder value and aspires to become a “one-stop shop” for pharma and biotech seeking mid-stage products to license or acquire.
The Company is targeting the growing infectious disease market. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, infectious disease has become one of the fastest growing pharma markets and is expected to exceed $250bn by 2025.
With its initial assets from hVIVO plc (formerly named Open Orphan plc) , an industry leading infectious disease and human challenge trials business, Poolbeg has access to knowledge, experience, and clinical data from over 20 years of human challenge trials. The Company is using these insights to acquire new assets as well as reposition clinical stage products, reducing spend and risk. Amongst its portfolio of exciting assets, Poolbeg has a small molecule immunomodulator for severe influenza (POLB 001) which has commenced its LPS human challenge trial with initial results expected by year end 2022; a first-in-class, intranasally administered RNA-based immunotherapy for respiratory virus infections (POLB 002); and a vaccine candidate for Melioidosis (POLB 003). The Company is also developing an oral vaccine delivery platform and is progressing two artificial intelligence (AI) programmes to accelerate the power of its human challenge model data and biobank, with results from the first programme expected by year end 2022.
Poolbeg’s role in the project will be to prepare the vaccine candidate for clinical approval, including the preparation of pre-clinical toxicology work and the preparation of a regulatory dossiers for submission to the relevant authorities prior to the initiation of clinical trials. In addition to these activities, as the consortium-lead, Poolbeg will be responsible for project management, intellectual property protection and the coordination of publicity
For more information, please go to www.poolbegpharma.com or follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn @PoolbegPharma.
About AnaBio Technologies
AnaBio Technologies is a specialist microencapsulation company, focused on improving health and performance through micro-encapsulation of sensitive bioactive ingredients for food, beverage and pharmaceutical applications. Founded in 2011 by Dr Sinead Bleiel, and based in Carrigtwohill Co Cork, AnaBio has developed into a global leader in the field of micro encapsulation with 15 patent families and clients across N America, Asia, and EU.
Bioactives and APIs clearly bestow health benefits, but are vulnerable to being inactivated by environmental stresses encountered during processing, storage and digestion. This can result in limited quantities of intact active bioactives reaching the site of action in the body, and no health benefit.
Microencapsulation represents a sophisticated delivery system designed to overcome this problem. A protective coat is created at microscopic level around the bioactive or API which protects the ingredient from a wide range of environmental conditions, enables its release at the appropriate site within the body, and thereby ensures that the potential health benefits of the bioactive are fully realised. AnaBio Technologies offers its clients a range of services including contract research to develop bespoke microencapsulation solutions, commercial scale manufacture and supply of microencapsulated ingredients and licensing of its patented microencapsulated technology.
As part of the project, Anabio will be responsible for the encapsulation of the vaccine antigen and adjuvant combination. This will protect vaccine antigens from the degradative environment of the digestive tract and deliver vaccine constituents via a triggered release of microcapsule dissolution at a specific pH, which is characteristic to the location of the intestine where antigen uptake is targeted.
For further information, visit www.anabio.ie or email aidan.fitzsimons@anabio.ie .
About University College Dublin (“UCD”)
UCD is Ireland’s largest and most diverse university and one of Europe’s leading research-intensive universities. Since 1854 UCD has made a unique contribution to the creation of modern Ireland, based on successful engagement with Irish society on every level and across every sphere of activity. As Ireland’s leading university in innovation, knowledge transfer and commercialisation, UCD’s commitment to innovation and entrepreneurship recognises the importance of active participation and collaboration to exploit leading-edge research and development outputs. As set-out in Rising to the Future 2020-2024 UCD’s four strategic themes are; creating a sustainable global society, transforming through digital technology, building a healthy world, and empowering humanity.
To further expand the diseases the oral vaccine platform can target, the team in UCD will characterise and prioritise additional vaccines candidates using the proteomic platform technology previously developed by the McClean lab. Once a preferred candidate is identified, its efficacy following encapsulation will be assessed in an animal challenge model.
For further information, visit www.ucd.ie
About Trinity College Dublin (“TCD”)
Trinity College Dublin, founded in 1592, is Ireland’s oldest university. Today it has a vibrant community of over 20,000 students and is recognised internationally as Ireland’s premier university, currently 98th in the QS University World Rankings. Cutting edge research, technology and innovation places the university at the forefront of higher education in Ireland and globally. It encompasses all major academic disciplines, and is committed to world-class teaching and research across a range of disciplines in the arts, humanities, engineering, science, social and health sciences. Trinity is Europe’s leading university for graduate entrepreneurship and has placed innovation and entrepreneurship at the heart of its strategy – from the development of plans for a new innovation campus at Grand Canal Quay, to the establishment of the University Bridge I and University Bridge Fund II.
The selection of an adjuvant that can help to stimulate robust mucosal immune responses for oral delivery will be a key task for the Lavelle lab during the course of the project. In the later stages of the project, the Lavelle lab will be responsible for the generation of data required for the filing of regulatory dossiers to proceed with clinical trials.
For further information, visit www.tcd.ie