# Poolbeg Pharma delighted with progress made

- Link: https://www.directorstalkinterviews.com/poolbeg-pharma-delighted-with-progress-made/4121112674
- Published: 2023-03-30T07:08:17+01:00
- Author: Ethan Davis

**[Poolbeg Pharma Plc](https://www.directorstalkinterviews.com/company/poolbeg-pharma-plc/polb.l)**(
[LON:POLB](https://www.directorstalkinterviews.com/company/poolbeg-pharma-plc/polb.l),
OTCQB: POLBF) a leading biopharmaceutical company focusing on infectious and prevalent
diseases with a high unmet medical need, has announced its audited results for the
year ended 31 December 2022.

**Financial & Corporate Highlights**

–       Well capitalised with a cash balance of £16.2m at year end

–       Poolbeg-led consortium awarded €2.3m in non-dilutive funding to progress
its Oral Vaccine Platform

–       Select experienced hires, bolstering the Company’s capabilities in core 
areas such as business development and clinical operations

**Operational Highlights**

**·   ** **_POLB 001_** – potential blockbuster p38 MAP Kinase inhibitor for the
treatment of severe Influenza and other acute inflammatory conditions

–       Successfully completed the bacterial lipopolysaccharide (“LPS”) human challenge
trial in 2022

–       Positive results from the trial were published earlier this month. POLB 
001 was shown to be safe and well tolerated and had a potent effect on systemic 
and localised inflammatory response in a dose dependent manner. This significant
milestone demonstrates POLB 001’s expected utility in severe influenza and supports
its continued development in other acute inflammatory conditions

–       Poolbeg continues to evaluate POLB 001’s potential in additional indications
to fully unlock the potential value of the molecule and strengthen Poolbeg’s position
for partnering and out-licensing

**·   ** **_POLB 001 – Oncology_**

–       Strategically expanded POLB 001 in January 2023 as a potential treatment
option for Cytokine Release Syndrome (CRS), a side-effect associated with CAR T 
cell therapy. Clinical trial enabling activities are underway with trial initiation
in CAR T cell patients expected in H1 2024

**·   ** **_Artificial Intelligence (“AI”) Programmes_** – analysis of unique disease
progression data derived from human challenge trial samples

–       **Respiratory Syncytial Virus (“RSV”) AI programme** with partner OneThree
Biotech.  Poolbeg embarked on a world first programme in February 2022 which yielded
multiple novel RSV drug targets in November 2022. Following the discovery of these
drug targets, the collaboration successfully identified a number of promising RSV
drug candidates which can now be rapidly brought forward to lab-based validation

–       **Influenza AI programme** with leading AI company, CytoReason, commenced
in March 2022 and hit a major milestone in November 2022 as the construction of 
the computational artificial intelligence influenza disease model was completed

**·   ** **_Continued expansion and diversification of the pipeline_**

–       **POLB 002** – in-licensed an intra-nasally administered, RNA-based immunotherapy
for pan-respiratory virus infections

–       **POLB 003** – in-licensed late-preclinical stage intra-muscular vaccine
candidate for the prevention of Melioidosis, a predominantly tropical / subtropical
disease with a high mortality rate and no approved vaccine available

–       The Company continues to evaluate five other bacterial vaccine candidates
being developed at University College Dublin (“UCD”) under an ongoing option agreement

–       **Oral Vaccine Platform** – licensed microencapsulation and nanoencapsulation
technology aimed at triggering ‘mucosal immunity’ by delivering oral vaccines to
the gut, preventing infections from taking hold in the body by counteracting them
at the point of entry, both reducing transmission and preventing serious disease

–       **Oral Delivery of Metabolic Disease Treatments** – licensed patented encapsulation
technologies in metabolic syndrome related diseases, including obesity, pre-diabetes
and diabetes

> **Jeremy Skillington, PhD, Chief Executive Officer, Poolbeg Pharma, said:** _“
> As we reflect on Poolbeg’s accomplishments in 2022, we are delighted with the 
> progress we have made in our pipeline development, clinical programmes, and our
> AI drug discovery programmes. Our strong cash position, coupled with the excellent
> data achieved in our LPS human challenge trial for POLB 001, position us well 
> for 2023 as we work towards our first partnering transaction. We remain committed
> to disciplined capital allocation, cost-effective R&D, and strategic partnerships,
> as we continue to pursue our goal of becoming a one-stop-shop for pharma and biotechs
> seeking products to in-license.”_

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