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#POLB Poolbeg Pharma PLC – Annual Report & AGM Notice
Poolbeg Pharma (AIM: POLB, OTCQB: POLBF, ‘Poolbeg’ or the ‘Company’), a leading biopharmaceutical company focusing on infectious and prevalent diseases with a high unmet medical need, confirms that the Company’s Annual Report and Accounts for the period ended 31 December 2022 and the notice of Annual General Meeting (“AGM”) 2022 have been posted to shareholders.
The 2022 Annual Report and Accounts, the Notice of AGM and accompanying form of proxy are available to download from the Company’s website: https://www.poolbegpharma.com/investors/documents/
The Annual General Meeting will be held at the offices of DAC Beachcroft LLP, 25 Walbrook, London EC4N 8AF, United Kingdom on 11 May 2023 at 12pm.
– 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, Vici Rabbetts
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+44 (0) 208 078 4357 |
About Poolbeg Pharma
Poolbeg Pharma specialises in the development of innovative medicines to address the unmet need in infectious and other prevalent 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. Through opportunistic identification of assets which complement Poolbeg’s existing pipeline, the Company is progressing programmes in oncology and metabolic syndromes; adding disease areas with significant addressable markets.
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 and other acute inflammatory conditions (POLB 001) which produces a highly significant reduction in p38 MAP kinase driven cytokines in a clinical setting; 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 two Oral Delivery Programmes and is progressing two Artificial Intelligence (AI) Programmes to add promising new assets to its pipeline.
For more information, please go to www.poolbegpharma.com or follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn @PoolbegPharma.
#HVO Hvivo – Imutex Phase I data published
hVIVO plc (AIM & Euronext: HVO) (formerly Open Orphan plc), a rapidly growing specialist contract research organisation (CRO) and world leader in testing infectious and respiratory disease products using human challenge clinical trials, announces publication of previously reported positive data from a first-in-human Phase I clinical study evaluating the safety and immunogenicity of AGS-v PLUS. The data has been published in eBioMedicine,1 a peer-reviewed open access biomedical journal part of The Lancet Discovery Science.
AGS-v PLUS is a vaccine candidate against arboviral diseases that targets the saliva of the mosquito rather than the pathogens carried by the mosquito. AGS-v PLUS is owned by Imutex Ltd, a joint venture with PepTcell Limited (the parent company of ConserV Bioscience Ltd), in which hVIVO has a 49% shareholding.
AGS-v PLUS vaccine candidate has a novel proposed dual action mechanism of preventing infection in humans whilst controlling the mosquito population through affecting reproduction. AGS-v PLUS contains five synthetic peptides that originate from proteins found in the saliva of mosquitoes. The published manuscript shows data from the study conducted at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and sponsored by NIAID-NIH, demonstrating that all AGS-v PLUS formulations evaluated (non-adjuvanted or adjuvanted in alhydrogel or Montanide ISA-51) were well tolerated with no serious adverse events experienced, and that they generated a robust cellular and humoral immune response in participants, the formulation in Montanide ISA-51 being the most immunogenic. Moreover, the immune response mounted against AGS-v PLUS was shown to reduce infectivity of Zika virus in vitro.
Mosquito-borne diseases include Zika, West Nile, chikungunya, dengue, yellow fever, and malaria amongst others. There are ~360 million cases of and more than 600,000 deaths from mosquito-borne diseases annually, although the true burden is likely underestimated. A vaccine efficacious against multiple mosquito-borne diseases could significantly impact public health.
Yamin ‘Mo’ Khan, Chief Executive Officer of hVIVO, said: “It is encouraging to see the results from Imutex’s first-in-human Phase 1 trial for AGS-v PLUS published in eBioMedicine. The data demonstrated that AGS-v PLUS was well tolerated and generated a robust immune response in participants, with no serious adverse events. The next steps will be to determine if these findings translate into clinical efficacy against mosquito-borne diseases, which inflict a severe burden on public health systems around the world.”
- “Safety and immunogenicity of AGS-V plus, a mosquito saliva peptide vaccine against arboviral diseases: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 1 trial,” by Friedman-Klabanoff, D.A.J. et al. (2022) is available in eBioMedicine, part of The Lancet, 86, p. 104375. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ebiom.2022.104375
- Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME). Global Burden of Disease 2019 Cause and Risk Summary: Malaria, Dengue, Yellow Fever, Zika; 2020. Accessed April 6, 2021.
For further information please contact:
| hVIVO plc | +44 (0) 20 7756 1300 | ||
| Yamin ‘Mo’ Khan, Chief Executive Officer
Stephen Pinkerton, Chief Financial Officer |
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| Liberum Capital (Nominated Adviser and Joint Broker) | +44 (0) 20 3100 2000 | ||
| Ben Cryer, Edward Mansfield, Phil Walker, Will King | |||
| finnCap plc (Joint Broker) | +44 (0) 20 7220 0500 | ||
| Geoff Nash, Charlie Beeson, Nigel Birks, Harriet Ward (ECM) | |||
| Davy (Euronext Growth Adviser and Joint Broker) | +353 (0) 1 679 6363 | ||
| Anthony Farrell, Niall Gilchrist | |||
| Walbrook PR (Financial PR & IR)
Stephanie Cuthbert / Phillip Marriage / |
+44 (0) 20 7933 8780 or hvivo@walbrookpr.com
+44 (0) 7796 794 663 / +44 (0) 7867 984 082 / |
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Notes to Editors
hVIVO plc (ticker: HVO) (formerly Open Orphan plc) is a rapidly growing specialist contract research organisation (CRO) and the world leader in testing infectious and respiratory disease vaccines and therapeutics using human challenge clinical trials. The Group provides end-to-end early clinical development services to its large, established and growing repeat client base, which includes four of the top 10 largest global biopharma companies.
The Group’s fast-growing services business includes a unique portfolio of 10+ human challenge models to test a broad range of infectious and respiratory disease products, world class challenge agent manufacturing, specialist drug development and clinical consultancy services via its Venn Life Sciences brand, and a lab offering via its hLAB brand, which includes virology, immunology biomarker and molecular testing. The Group offers additional clinical field trial services such as patient recruitment and clinical trial site services.
hVIVO runs challenge studies in London from its Whitechapel quarantine clinic, its state-of-the-art QMB clinic with its highly specialised on-site virology and immunology laboratory, and its clinic in Plumbers Row. To recruit volunteers / patients for its studies, the Company leverages its unique clinical trial recruitment capacity via its FluCamp volunteer screening facilities in London and Manchester.
About PepTcell Limited
PepTcell brings safe, effective, and low-cost treatments to patients, in the shortest time possible, to radically improve human health in major disease areas. Through its subsidiary ConserV Bioscience Limited, PepTcell develops vaccines to a broad range of infectious diseases. ConserV Bioscience is a late-stage vaccine development company focused on advancing safe and effective vaccines that protect against endemic and emergent infectious diseases. They use a novel in silico proprietary platform to identify highly conserved regions in the proteome that contain a high number of reactive T-cell epitopes with extensive HLA coverage. These regions are then used as antigens and are delivered using the most appropriate method for the combination of antigens and the disease, for example, as synthetic peptides or encoded in mRNA. This approach has consistently identified promising vaccine candidates which have demonstrated immunogenic responses in pre-clinical validation studies and have achieved mid- and late-stage clinical milestones.
#HVO hVIVO plc- Share Price
hVIVO plc (AIM: HVO) (formerly Open Orphan plc), a rapidly growing specialist contract research organisation (CRO) and world leader in testing infectious and respiratory disease products using human challenge clinical trials, saw the share price rise which was then picked up in the Daily Mail Stock Watch this morning
For further information please contact:
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hVIVO plc |
+44 (0) 20 7756 1300 |
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Yamin ‘Mo’ Khan, Chief Executive Officer Stephen Pinkerton, Chief Financial Officer |
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Liberum Capital (Nominated Adviser and Joint Broker) |
+44 (0) 20 3100 2000 |
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Ben Cryer, Edward Mansfield, Phil Walker, Will King |
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finnCap plc (Joint Broker) |
+44 (0) 20 7220 0500 |
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Geoff Nash, Charlie Beeson, Nigel Birks, Harriet Ward (ECM) |
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Davy (Euronext Growth Adviser and Joint Broker) |
+353 (0) 1 679 6363 |
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Anthony Farrell, Niall Gilchrist |
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Walbrook PR (Financial PR & IR) Stephanie Cuthbert / Phillip Marriage / |
+44 (0) 20 7933 8780 or hvivo@walbrookpr.com +44 (0) 7796 794 663 / +44 (0) 7867 984 082 / |
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UK Investor Magazine Podcast -CEO Alan Green discusses AstraZeneca, Georgia Capital and Vela Technologies
Alan Green joins the Podcast as we delve into key markets theme and a number of UK equities.
We discuss:
- AstraZeneca (LON:AZN)
- Georgia Capital (LON:CGEO)
- Vela Technologies (LON:VELA)
We start by looking at potential catalysts for markets as we move into the winter.
AstraZeneca has reported a solid set of third quarter results as the company sees the benefits of higher cancer drug sales.
Georgia Capital has been trading at deep discount to NAV and Alan outlines why he sees strength in the business going forward.
Vela Technologies shares jumped this week as they announced the IPO of a portfolio company on the NASDAQ.
Click on the image to listen or click here
#ORPH Open Orphan plc – Positive in vitro results for FLU-v published
Open Orphan plc (AIM: ORPH), (to be renamed hVIVO plc (AIM: HVO) effective 26 October 2022), a rapidly growing specialist contract research organisation (CRO) and world leader in testing infectious and respiratory disease products using human challenge clinical trials, announces that positive data from a peer-reviewed study evaluating the in vitro efficacy of FLU-v, Imutex Limited’s (“Imutex”) broad spectrum influenza
vaccine, has been published in the scientific journal Vaccines.1
Previous clinical studies have demonstrated that FLU-v induced increased antibody and cellular responses in vivo. This placebo-controlled study evaluated the ability of FLU-v to induce cellular effector functions and cross-reactivity (both measures of the immune response, with cross-reactivity being particularly important for protection against multiple viral strains) of immune cells extracted from participants, following exposure to five different influenza strains.
The study found that measurements of IFN-γ and granzyme B production in stimulated immune cells from participants that had been previously vaccinated with either FLU-v or placebo, were significantly higher in the FLU-v group both when stimulated with vaccine antigen and also with antigens from a panel of seasonal and pandemic inactivated influenza A and B strains. These results further support the continued development of FLU-v as a broad-spectrum influenza vaccine.
FLU-v is owned by Imutex, a joint venture between hVIVO and PepTcell Limited (the legal name of SEEK Group), to develop vaccines against influenza and mosquito borne diseases such as Zika virus, malaria and other flaviviruses.
Seasonal influenza causes significant morbidity and mortality each year and a pandemic influenza continues to pose a worldwide threat. Influenza is a serious global health threat with an estimated 1 billion cases per year, 3-5 million severe cases and 290,000 – 650,000 deaths per year.
Dr Andrew Catchpole, Chief Scientific Officer of hVIVO, said: “It is encouraging to see further positive data for FLU-v, supporting its continued development as a broad-spectrum influenza vaccine. There is a large unmet need for a broad-spectrum vaccine to help battle emerging seasonal and pandemic influenza A and B viruses. Although FLU-v had already produced successful Phase II clinical data, this in vitro study is particularly important as it showed the ability of the candidate to induce an immune response against a diverse variety of influenza A and B strains.”
1. Oftung, F.; Næss, L.M.; Laake, I.; Stoloff, G.; Pleguezuelos, O. FLU-v, a Broad-Spectrum Influenza Vaccine, Induces Cross-Reactive Cellular Immune Responses in Humans Measured by Dual IFN-γ and Granzyme B ELISpot Assay. Vaccines 2022, 10, 1528. https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines10091528
For further information please contact:
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Open Orphan plc |
+44 (0) 20 7756 1300 |
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Yamin Khan, Chief Executive Officer |
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Walbrook PR (Financial PR & IR) Stephanie Cuthbert / Phillip Marriage / |
+44 (0)20 7933 8780 or openorphan@walbrookpr.com +44 (0) 7796 794 663 / +44 (0) 7867 984 082 / |
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#ORPH Open Orphan PLC – Director dealings
Open Orphan plc (AIM: ORPH), (to be renamed hVIVO plc (AIM: HVO) effective 26 October 2022), a rapidly growing specialist contract research organisation (CRO) and world leader in testing infectious and respiratory disease products using human challenge clinical trials, announces that it has received notification that on 29 September 2022, Yamin ‘Mo’ Khan, Chief Executive Officer of the Company, purchased 510,204 ordinary shares of 0.1 pence each in the capital of the Company (“Shares”) at a price of 9.8 pence per Share. Following the purchase of shares Mo holds 510,204 ordinary shares representing approximately 0.08 per cent of the Company’s issued ordinary capital.
Yamin ‘Mo’ Khan, Chief Executive Officer of Open Orphan plc, said: “The purchase of shares in the Company demonstrates both my commitment and my confidence in our long-term growth strategy. Since my appointment as CEO in February 2022, we have made significant progress, delivering continued growth and a record orderbook valued at c.£80m as of 1 September, which provides excellent forward visibility into H2 2022 and 2023.”
The information contained within this announcement is deemed by the Company to constitute inside information as stipulated under the Market Abuse Regulations (EU) No. 596/2014 (as implemented into English law) (“MAR”). With the publication of this announcement via a Regulatory Information Service, this inside information is now considered to be in the public domain.
For further information please contact:
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Open Orphan plc |
+44 (0) 20 7756 1300 |
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Yamin Khan, Chief Executive Officer |
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Liberum Capital (Nominated Adviser and Joint Broker) |
+44 (0) 20 3100 2000 |
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Ben Cryer/ Edward Mansfield/ Phil Walker/ Will King |
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finnCap plc (Joint Broker) |
+44 (0) 20 7220 0500 |
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Geoff Nash / James Thompson / Richard Chambers |
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Davy (Euronext Growth Adviser and Joint Broker) |
+353 (0) 1 679 6363 |
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Anthony Farrell |
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Walbrook PR (Financial PR & IR) Stephanie Cuthbert / Phillip Marriage / |
+44 (0)20 7933 8780 or openorphan@walbrookpr.com +44 (0) 7796 794 663 / +44 (0) 7867 984 082 / |
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#ORPH Open Orphan – £10.4m contract with existing Big Pharma client
hVIVO to develop new influenza challenge strain to test oral antiviral candidate
Open Orphan plc (AIM: ORPH), a rapidly growing specialist contract research organisation (CRO) and world leader in testing infectious and respiratory disease products using human challenge clinical trials, announces thathVIVO, a subsidiary of Open Orphan, has signed a £10.4m contract with an existing top 5 global pharmaceutical client to manufacture a new batch of H1N1 influenza challenge virus, leveraging off an existing in-house generated challenge model, and to conduct a human challenge trial to test the client’s antiviral product.
hVIVO has world-leading expertise in challenge agent manufacture, with the ability to manufacture specific subtypes of viruses, as well as unrivalled experience in conducting challenge studies. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the Company has seen an increase in the number of clients looking to test their vaccines and antivirals against specific subtypes of viruses that are circulating in the population or that have the potential to be widely spread. As a result, there is a greater interest in end-to-end human challenge contracts such as this, that include a novel challenge agent manufacture and a challenge study.
The study will evaluate the efficacy profile of the antiviral against the specific influenza subtype, generating data quickly and efficiently. This is the third human challenge contract signed with this client, highlighting the Company’s world leading expertise and the clear benefits of human challenge trials to Big Pharma’s drug development process.
Good Manufacturing Practice (“GMP”) compliant virus manufacturing activities will commence immediately and are expected to complete by Q2 2023. Once completed, hVIVO will conduct a Phase 2a double-blinded placebo-controlled human challenge study which is expected to be completed by Q4 2023. hVIVO will recruit healthy volunteers via the Company’s dedicated volunteer recruitment arm, FluCamp.The majority of revenue from the contract is expected to be recognised during 2023.
Yamin ‘Mo’ Khan, Chief Executive Officer of Open Orphan, said : “We’re delighted to be working again with this top 5 global pharmaceutical company to test its antiviral, using a new influenza strain developed by our highly experienced team. This contract is the third challenge study with this client, and our second end-to-end full-service contract overall. Our one-stop shop service offerings from manufacturing bespoke challenge agents to conducting full challenge studies is unique in the market. I am confident, that with our highly qualified teams and their clinical development expertise, we are well placed to address the growing infectious disease and respiratory research markets.
“Influenza poses a serious global health threat, causing an estimated 290,000 – 650,000 deaths per year with significant pandemic potential, and as such, the development of new vaccines and antivirals to fight flu remains vitally important.”
Dr Andrew Catchpole, Chief Scientific Officer of hVIVO, said: “This contract is a strong example of where human challenge studies can provide significant value. These studies can quickly and cost-effectively generate efficacy data for our clients in specific viral subtypes. As illustrated with this contract, our world-class manufacturing capabilities can produce a challenge agent for subtypes that pose a particular global health risk or are already circulating in the population. The resulting data can then indicate whether the candidate is viable for Phase II/III studies, providing substantial time and financial savings compared to traditional field-based studies.”
The information contained within this announcement is deemed by the Company to constitute inside information as stipulated under the Market Abuse Regulations (EU) No. 596/2014 (as implemented into English law) (“MAR”). With the publication of this announcement via a Regulatory Information Service, this inside information is now considered to be in the public domain.
Interested in becoming a volunteer?
hVIVO recruits many of its volunteers for its challenge study clinical trials through its dedicated volunteer recruitment website, www.flucamp.com . By volunteering to take part in one of our studies in a safe, controlled, clinical environment under expertly supervised conditions you are playing your part to further medical research and help increase the understanding of respiratory illnesses.
For further information please contact:
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Open Orphan plc |
+353 (0) 1 644 0007 |
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Yamin Khan, Chief Executive Officer |
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Liberum Capital (Nominated Adviser and Joint Broker) |
+44 (0) 20 3100 2000 |
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Ben Cryer/ Edward Mansfield/ Phil Walker/ Will King |
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finnCap plc (Joint Broker) |
+44 (0) 20 7220 0500 |
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Geoff Nash / James Thompson / Richard Chambers |
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Davy (Euronext Growth Adviser and Joint Broker) |
+353 (0) 1 679 6363 |
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Anthony Farrell |
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Walbrook PR (Financial PR & IR) Stephanie Cuthbert / Phillip Marriage / |
+44 (0)20 7933 8780 or openorphan@walbrookpr.com +44 (0) 7796 794 663 / +44 (0) 7867 984 082 / |
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#ORPH Open Orphan – Omicron human challenge model
Vaxart becomes the first client of the programme to test its oral COVID-19 vaccine candidate
Open Orphan plc (AIM: ORPH), a rapidly growing specialist contract research organisation (CRO) and world leader in testing infectious and respiratory disease products using human challenge clinical trials, announces that hVIVO , a subsidiary of Open Orphan, is developing the world’s first Omicron human challenge model. hVIVO has signed an agreement with Vaxart Inc. (“Vaxart”), (NASDAQ: VXRT) to develop the model with the intent to conduct a subsequent Omicron human challenge study in 2023 to test the efficacy of Vaxart’s oral vaccine candidate, VXA-CoV2-1.
To develop the model, hVIVO will manufacture a new SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) challenge agent based on the Omicron variant. The Good Manufacturing Practice (“GMP”) compliant virus manufacturing activities will commence immediately and are expected to complete by Q4 2022. Following manufacture of the challenge agent, the Company intends to conduct a characterisation study. Subject to the successful completion of the characterisation study and receipt of relevant regulatory approvals, hVIVO expects to conduct Omicron human challenge studies in 2023.
The characterisation study will establish a dose of the Omicron challenge agent that will cause a safe and reliable infection in healthy volunteers. The study will enrol healthy male and female volunteers who have previously been vaccinated against or infected with SARS-CoV-2, with no known risk factors for severe COVID-19 and low levels of serum neutralising antibodies (and therefore still likely to become infected following inoculation).
hVIVO has two decades of experience and expertise in challenge agent manufacture and clinical characterisation across a range of respiratory viruses including various strains of influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), human rhinovirus (hRV – common cold virus), as well as the initial circulating SARS-CoV-2 virus and variants which have since emerged. hVIVO leads the Challenge Agent Manufacture Consortium, which has developed international standards that pertain to challenge agent manufacture and storage, to ensure safety, quality and consistency.
Yamin Khan, Chief Executive Officer of Open Orphan, said: “With our leading end-to-end human challenge expertise, we are delighted to be developing the world’s first Omicron human challenge model and to welcome Vaxart as the first client of this programme.
“hVIVO’s fight against the pandemic continues with the development of this new challenge agent. The benefits to Vaxart are immense, and we have already been contacted by a number of biopharma companies looking to test the efficacy of their products using this challenge virus. I have no doubt that the successful completion of the world’s first COVID-19 characterisation, which was published in Nature Medicine earlier this year, has given our customers the confidence to move forward with the less severe yet more infective Omicron challenge model.”
Dr. James Cummings, Chief Medical Officer of Vaxart, said: “A human challenge study of our oral tablet COVID-19 vaccine candidate against the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 is the most rapid and direct way to assess the efficacy of this candidate against a highly prevalent viral strain.
“hVIVO has pioneered COVID-19 characterization and the Omicron human challenge model, and the use of this model in our planned Phase II human challenge trial will rapidly generate robust, controlled data on the ability of our COVID-19 vaccine candidate to prevent infection and the development of symptomatic disease, as well as its effect on viral shedding, which plays a critical role in the spread of infection from one person to another. The results of this study will inform the next steps in the development of our COVID-19 vaccine candidate, which has the potential to transform personal and public health approaches to controlling the global pandemic.”
Dr Andrew Catchpole, Chief Scientific Officer of hVIVO, said: “The team and I at hVIVO are excited to begin work to manufacture an Omicron challenge agent, the follow-on characterisation, and future human challenge trials. We have unparalleled expertise in SARS-CoV-2 challenge agent manufacturing, having completed work on both the original Wuhan strain and the subsequent Delta variant, in addition to our prior experience in successfully conducting the world’s first COVID-19 characterisation study, and our decades of experience in conducting human challenge trials. We are delighted to be working with Vaxart on this programme and look forward to the opportunity to subsequently test the efficacy of their exciting novel vaccine.”
Interested in becoming a volunteer?
hVIVO recruits many of its volunteers for its challenge study clinical trials through its dedicated volunteer recruitment website, www.flucamp.com . By volunteering to take part in one of our studies in a safe, controlled, clinical environment under expertly supervised conditions you are playing your part to further medical research and help increase the understanding of respiratory illnesses.
For further information please contact:
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Open Orphan plc |
+44 (0) 20 7756 1300 |
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Yamin Khan, Chief Executive Officer |
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Liberum Capital (Nominated Adviser and Joint Broker) |
+44 (0) 20 3100 2000 |
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Ben Cryer/ Edward Mansfield/ Phil Walker/ Will King |
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finnCap plc (Joint Broker) |
+44 (0) 20 7220 0500 |
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Geoff Nash / James Thompson / Richard Chambers |
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Davy (Euronext Growth Adviser and Joint Broker) |
+353 (0) 1 679 6363 |
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Anthony Farrell |
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Walbrook PR (Financial PR & IR) Paul McManus / Sam Allen / Louis Ashe-Jepson |
+44 (0)20 7933 8780 or openorphan@walbrookpr.com +44 (0)7980 541 893 / +44 (0) 7502 558 258 / +44 (0)7747 515393 |
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#ORPH Open Orphan – Board appointment
Open Orphan plc (AIM: ORPH), a rapidly growing specialist contract research organisation (CRO) and world leader in testing infectious and respiratory disease products using human challenge clinical trials, announces the appointment of Martin Gouldstone as an Independent Non-Executive Director of the Company with effect from 8 June 2022.Martin will also Chair the Audit & Risk Committee and will be a member of the Nominations Committee and the Remuneration Committee.
Martin brings 30 years of corporate development experience in the CRO, healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors, holding a number of senior roles at healthcare AI businesses. Martin has expertise in executing multi-billion dollar deals across Europe and the US, architecting end-to-end portfolio out-sourcing deals, and negotiating multi-year research partnerships.
Martin is currently Global SVP, Business Development at Owkin, a French-American start-up using artificial intelligence to discover and develop better treatments for unmet medical needs. Previously, Martin has held the roles of Chief Business Officer at both BenevolentAI and Sensyne Health and was a Partner at Results Healthcare, an international M&A advisory firm, where he co-led the company’s healthcare practice. Prior to this, Martin was Head of Life Sciences for BDO UK LLP, Senior Director responsible for M&A and joint venture opportunities in Europe for Quintiles (now IQVIA), and Business Development and Licensing Lead at Confirmant Ltd, Pharmacopeia Inc, Sareum Ltd.
Martin holds a BSc in Genetics and has completed a range of post graduate management courses.
Yamin ‘Mo’ Khan, Chief Executive Officer of Open Orphan, said: “I am pleased to welcome Martin to the Board of Open Orphan. Martin has extensive corporate development experience in the CRO, healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors and held a number of senior roles in healthcare AI businesses. I look forward to working closely with Martin as we drive further growth across the business.”
Martin Gouldstone, Non-Executive Director, said: “I am delighted to join the Board of Open Orphan at what is an exciting time for the Company and the infectious disease market as it continues to grow significantly post pandemic. I am delighted to bring my previous three decades of experience in the CRO, healthcare and pharmaceutical industry to the Company as it continues to build and expand on partnerships with leading global biopharma companies.”
Regulatory Disclosures
Save for the information set out above and below, there are no further disclosures to be made in accordance with Rule 17, Schedule Two (g) of the AIM Rules for Companies in respect of the appointment of Mr Martin John Gouldstone, aged 55, Martin does not hold an interest in the Company’s share capital.
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Novara Therapeutics Limited |
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Orthopaedic Research UK |
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Sempiternum Ltd |
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Open Orphan plc |
+44 20 7756 1300 |
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Yamin ‘Mo’ Khan, Chief Executive Officer |
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Liberum Capital (Nominated Adviser and Joint Broker) |
+44 (0) 20 3100 2000 |
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Ben Cryer / Edward Mansfield / Phil Walker / Will King |
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finnCap plc (Joint Broker) |
+44 (0) 20 7220 0500 |
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Geoff Nash / James Thompson / Richard Chambers |
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Davy (Euronext Growth Adviser and Joint Broker) |
+353 (0) 1 679 6363 |
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Anthony Farrell |
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Walbrook PR (Financial PR & IR) Paul McManus / Sam Allen / Louis Ashe-Jepson |
+44 (0)20 7933 8780 or openorphan@walbrookpr.com +44 (0)7980 541 893 / +44 (0) 7502 558 258 / |
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#POLB Poolbeg Pharma – US patents granted for POLB 001 and POLB 002
26 May 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, has been granted patents by the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for POLB 001, a small molecule immunomodulator for the treatment of severe influenza and POLB 002, a first-in-class, intranasally administered RNA-based immunotherapy for respiratory virus infections.
POLB 001
The USPTO granted a patent for the majority of Poolbeg’s claims around the use of certain p38 MAP kinase (mitogen-activated protein kinase) inhibitors for the treatment or prevention of severe influenza and the hypercytokinaemia (or “cytokine storm”) it causes through modulation of the immune response (reducing the body’s hyperinflammatory response to the virus). To further strengthen its position, Poolbeg will pursue a continuation patent application to augment the protection offered by this patent family.
Poolbeg holds the worldwide rights to POLB 001 for all uses in humans and as such, is exploring the opportunity to expand its IP around this asset to cover new disease areas which would maximise the value of the asset for partnering purposes.
POLB 002
The USPTO granted a patent for the identification of defective interfering (DI) RNA-based influenza viruses for use against infection by influenza, that provides a drug candidate with both antiviral prophylactic and therapeutic applications. By having a dual mechanism of action POLB 002 (which was identified using this method) directly interferes with influenza virus replication blocking disease progression and also triggers nasal cells into an antiviral state . In this way, POLB 002 could provide pan-viral protection from respiratory virus infections including influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), SARS-CoV-2 and others.
The Company is continuing working with its patent advisors to broaden and expand the POLB 001 and POLB 002 patent families.
Jeremy Skillington, PhD, CEO of Poolbeg Pharma, said:
“The additional US patent protection of POLB 001 and POLB 002 is an important step in the commercialisation of these novel infectious disease products. Enhancing the IP protection of these assets across key markets such as the US increases the overall value of these products to potential partners, particularly as we move closer to the commencement of our POLB 001 LPS human challenge trial next month with data expected by year end and monetisation to commence thereafter.”
– 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, James Thompson, Charlie Beeson
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+44 (0) 207 220 0500 |
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Arden Partners PLC (Joint Broker) John Llewellyn-Lloyd, Louisa Waddell
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+44 (0) 207 614 5900 |
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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
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+44 (0) 20 7457 2020 poolbeg@instinctif.com |