Cizzle Biotechnology Holdings plc (LON:CIZ), the UK-based diagnostics developer, has reported that St George Street Capital has provided an update on the further analysis of data from the ARCADIA clinical study, which confirms the potential value of AZD1656 treatment for COVID-19 patients. According to SGSC, in addition to the clinical benefit observed, the immunological data strongly support its rationale that AZD1656 is an immunomodulator which damps down the inflammatory response characteristic of COVID-19 infection, while enhancing the part of the immune response that helps fight the virus.
Highlights
· SGSC announces an important update on the positive outcome of the Arcadia COVID-19 therapy trial of AZD1656
· SGSC is actively engaged in commercial discussions with appropriate global and regional pharmaceutical companies
· Cizzle has built a significant royalty bearing Economic Interest in AZD1656 for the treatment of COVID-19 and other diseases such as Inflammatory pulmonary and cardiovascular disease
· The SGSC update supports the Company’s ambitions to expand into the pharmaceutical industry and is in line with its strategy of building a portfolio of early cancer detection tests, companion diagnostics and royalty bearing stakes in related drug assets
As previously announced, Cizzle has secured royalty sharing rights for the commercialisation of AZD1656 for COVID-19 and other indications, including inflammatory pulmonary and cardiovascular disease.
On 14 February 2022, Cizzle announced that it had entered into an agreement with Conduit Pharmaceuticals Limited and SGSC to acquire a 5% uncapped economic interest after deductions in the commercialisation of AZD1656, in addition to its previous rights, as announced on 20 September 2021, to royalties of up to £5m for the treatment of COVID-19 and other diseases such as inflammatory pulmonary and cardiovascular disease.
SGSC is a UK-based medical-charity led by a group of highly experienced academics and ex-pharma executives, that was formed to deliver much needed treatments to patients. SGSC’s strategy is to take clinical-ready assets from pharmaceutical companies and to progress them through Phase II trials before licensing them on for Phase III trials and commercialisation, to create a return for investors and the charity alike.
SGSC and Conduit are actively engaged in commercial discussions with appropriate global and regional pharmaceutical companies, with the objective of outright sale, partnership in future development or securing funding for the additional clinical studies necessary to get AZD1656 to market and patients. These opportunities are for AZD1656 in both Covid-19, and potentially in further indications. Conduit is the exclusive funding partner to SGSC.
Allan Syms, Executive Chairman of Cizzle Biotechnology, said
“The announcement today by SGSC is important because it provides further strong evidence that AZD1656 is a potentially valuable treatment for certain COVID-19 patients and that it seems to be providing benefit by acting as an immunomodulator, which damps down the inflammatory response. This should support SGSC’s and Conduit’s commercial ambitions to secure agreements with appropriate pharmaceutical companies, which should ultimately yield revenues for Cizzle through our royalty sharing rights.
“SGSC has also shown a role for AZD1656 in controlling Regulatory T Cells (“Tregs”) which may be important in managing serious cardiovascular and lung diseases, and which are linked with the development of lung cancer. This enhances the Company’s ambitions to expand its target customer base in the pharmaceutical industry through a strategy of building a portfolio of early cancer detection tests, companion diagnostics and royalty bearing stakes in significant drug assets.”
