Genflow Resources plc (LON:GENF) Chief Executive Officer Dr Eric Leire caught up with DirectorsTalk to discuss interim results from the SLAB-VET trial, plasmid DNA delivery, potential commercial partnerships, and the company’s human gene therapy programmes.
Q1: Now, Eric, you recently announced interim results for the SLAB-VET trial. How significant are these results?
A1: Obviously, those positive results are a very important step for us. This is the first time our SIRT6 gene therapy has been tested in naturally aged dogs, more than 10 years old, not dogs from a laboratory model in a lab context, but in a real setting.
In plain terms, we have taken a gene variant found in people who live over 100 years and shown early signs it can have a positive effect on real ageing animals.
This is a meaningful milestone for the company.
Q2: Why has pDNA been chosen as the lead delivery method? What advantage does it offer over AAV8?
A2: Plasmid DNA does not work in humans, but it works quite well in dogs and there’s already a plasmid DNA product approved for dogs.
It was important for a product that vets will actually use that the use of pDNA offers a clear advantage. It’s easier and cheaper to manufacture, it can potentially be given more than once, and it doesn’t carry the immune concern that comes with viral vectors. It showed a clean safety profile in the dogs and it’s practical.
For example, there’s no need for cold chain, it’s affordable, it’s scalable and it’s exactly what animal health companies want to see.
Q3: What was the reaction of the audience at the conference?
A3: First, I would like to say that the Toronto conference was exceptional, both in quality and attendance.
The reaction of the audience was very engaged. Both scientists and delegates were particularly interested in the extent to which the biological age appeared to decrease alongside the improvement we saw in muscle in dogs. That correlation was very important.
The fact also that the dogs were naturally aged, not engineered to have ageing or genetically modified to express more gene, was also a key point.
Also, the magnitude of the signal that could be seen after a relatively simple six-month therapy in already older animals generates a lot of interest.
I mentioned the scientists and delegates, I should also point out that several animal health companies were attending the conference and of course, the presentation of these results is a fantastic accelerator in our licensing discussions.
Q4: What would a commercial deal for the veterinary programme look like? What would partners need to see first?
A4: We’re not an animal health company, that’s not our core expertise. So, our plan is to partner the vet programme rather than commercialise it by ourselves. That could be a licence, typically upfront milestone payment as a product progresses to commercialisation and royalties on sale, or even better, an outright sale of the programme asset.
We’re working through exactly those points with the company we’re now in discussion with.
Q5: Now, with several programmes advancing, which milestones should investors focus on over the next 12 months?
A5: As an investor, I would keep an eye on three things.
First, obviously, partnering or sale agreement for the vet programme. We could bring in non-dilutive value and validate the platform, which will transform our market cap in terms of impact on the market cap. That’s tremendous.
Second, the patent should be issued. We’ve had a positive response now, not only from Europe, but from the Japanese examination. So, we are waiting the patent granted in Europe and Japan very soon. It’s just now the paperwork to be done.
Third, I would keep an eye also on our progress on human programmes. We have SIRT6 centenarian, and the variant we base our programme on is also being developed for treatment of sarcopenia.
After those good results on the dog, sarcopenia programme becomes quite attractive, and we demonstrated that we have an activity on the mice. Now, dogs are a better translational tool than mice, dogs live with us, they live in the same environment, breathe the same air, have kind of a similar lifestyle. So, very relevant to sarcopenia in humans.
I will not forget other programmes, the eye disease. We have also some very interesting scientific findings and liver disease.
In terms of those, it’s a step towards our long-term goal, turning a gene from centenarians into therapies that help people and animals stay healthier longer. So, quite a few things to look out for there.
