AbFero Pharmaceuticals Announces Initiation Of Phase 1 Study For Lead Iron Chelator

BOSTON, Feb. 23, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- AbFero Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a privately-held clinical stage pharmaceutical company dedicated to treating diseases of iron overload, today announced the initiation of a Phase 1 study of its lead iron chelator, SP-420, in myelodysplastic (MDS) and myelofibrosis patients (MF) with transfusional iron overload (TIO).

“The opening of this trial in MDS and MF marks another critical step forward on the development path for SP-420,” said AbFero CEO Thomas X. Neenan. “Following the recently awarded Parkinson’s research grants from EUREKA Eurostars and Cure Parkinson’s, this trial is an additional building block in our strategy of developing safe chelators for both hematological indications and diseases of aging where iron is implicated.”

“Transfusional Iron overload, from chronic red blood cell transfusion, remains a serious problem for the many patients with chronic leukemia and chronic bone marrow disorders,” explained Dr. Ruben Mesa, executive director of the Mays Cancer Center at The University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio. “The Mays Cancer Center is grateful for the first opportunity to offer the innovative approach to iron chelation from SP-420 from AbFero to patients with MDS and MF,” he said.

The study, to be conducted by Dr. Elizabeth Bowhay-Carnes, Director of the Adult Non-Malignant Hematology Program at the health science center, also called UT Health San Antonio, will examine the safety of SP-420 in this important population of patients with TIO and will provide the basis for further expansion into longer efficacy studies. The trial is expected to provide key safety data in 2021.

About AbFero
AbFero Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a privately-held clinical stage pharmaceutical company dedicated to treating diseases of iron overload. AbFero’s technology is based upon the discoveries of a pioneer in the field of iron chelator medicinal chemistry, Professor Raymond Bergeron, University of Florida. Our therapeutic platform addresses transfusional iron overload (TIO) and iron accumulation associated with diseases of aging such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and Parkinson’s disease. AbFero has completed three clinical trials with the company’s lead iron chelator, SP-420. AbFero Pharmaceuticals, Inc., is based in Boston, Massachusetts, and our subsidiary, AbFero, Ltd., is located in Harwell, UK. For more information, visit: https://www.abferopharmaceuticals.com.

Investor & Media Contact:
Mih-Ho Cha
mcha@abfero.com

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SOURCE AbFero Pharmaceuticals, Inc.