London, UK, 6 January 2009 - Ark Therapeutics Group plc (AKT: LSE) (“Ark” or “the Company”) is pleased to announce today that the Marketing Authorisation Application (MAA) for Cerepro®, Ark’s novel gene-based therapy for operable malignant glioma (brain cancer) which was recently filed with the European Medicines Regulatory Agency (EMEA), has cleared the validation stage. The Cerepro® MAA application now commences formal review via the centralised procedure which is the standard route for all advanced therapies.
Cerepro® was originally filed for marketing approval under exceptional circumstances in late 2005 and was reviewed by the EMEA with reliance on Phase II data. The review established that the technical chemistry and manufacturing controls (CMC), preclinical and environmental sections appeared acceptable, but more clinical data were needed to confirm the Phase II findings and to demonstrate the reproducibility of the results in a larger multi-centre Phase III trial.
The Phase III study of Cerepro®, completed in July 2007, showed that treatment with Cerepro® resulted in a significant therapeutic benefit, supporting the results of the Phase II clinical studies. The MAA was filed following a pre-submission meeting with the EMEA rapporteur in late Q3 2008 and is for a full marketing approval. In accordance with the regulations for gene therapy trials, patients in the Phase III study will be monitored until death and an update of the trial will be provided annually. As has already been announced, the first such update will be in Q1 2009.
Cerepro® has Orphan Drug Status in Europe and the USA and is manufactured by Ark at its GMP facility in Finland.
Dr David Eckland, Research and Development Director at Ark, said: “The acceptance of the MAA filed with the latest Phase III data was the next logical step for us to achieve with the EMEA and confirms that all the necessary components in the submission are acceptable for review. We now look forward to working with the EMEA during the review.”
Dr Nigel Parker, CEO of Ark, added: “The acceptance of the Cerepro® submission is a further significant milestone for Ark. Gene-based medicine has made enormous progress both clinically and with the regulatory authorities in the last couple of years and it is the most advanced of the new biological therapeutics. The interest we are beginning to see in Cerepro® as we get nearer to market is indicative of the potential that this whole area offers in finding new therapies that can make a real clinical difference for patients with hitherto untreatable diseases.”
Malignant glioma
Malignant glioma is a devastating and fatal form of brain tumour that is usually confined to the brain. The current standard therapy involves surgically removing the solid tumour mass (when possible) and initiating radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy. Even with the latest approved treatments, most patients die within one year of diagnosis, with average survival being about eight months. Little therapeutic progress has been made in recent years and the prognosis for malignant glioma patients is poor. A high unmet clinical need exists for new treatments that prolong life in this devastating disease. There are approximately 16,000 cases of malignant glioma in the EU which are operable.
Cerepro®
Cerepro® is an adenoviral mediated gene-based medicine (ad.HSV tk) given by multiple injections into the healthy brain tissue of patients following surgical removal of the solid tumour mass. In the following days, ganciclovir, is given intravenously. Once treated, healthy brain cells surrounding the site where the tumour was removed express the enzyme thymidine kinase. This converts the ganciclovir to a substance which specifically kills dividing cells. The healthy neurones surrounding the tumour in the brain are non-dividing and are therefore not susceptible to this substance. In this way Cerepro® harnesses healthy brain cells to help prevent a new tumour from growing.
Ark Therapeutics Group plc
Ark Therapeutics Group plc is a specialist healthcare group (the “Group”) addressing high value areas of unmet medical need within vascular disease, wound care and cancer. These are large and growing markets, where opportunities exist for effective new products to generate significant revenues. With four marketed devices, Kerraboot®, Kerraped®, Flaminal® and Neuropad®, and three further lead pharmaceutical products in late stage clinical development: Cerepro®, Vitor™, and Trinam®, the Group is transitioning from an R&D company to a commercial, revenue generating business.
Ark’s own products are sourced from related but largely non-dependent technologies within the Group and have been selected to enable them to be taken through development within the Group’s own means and to benefit from Orphan Drug Status and/or Fast Track Designation, as appropriate. This strategy has allowed the Group to retain greater value and greater control of clinical development timelines, and to mitigate the risks of dependency on any one particular programme or development partner. Ark has secured patents or has patent applications pending for all its lead products in principal pharmaceutical markets.
Ark has its origins in businesses established in the mid-1990s by Professor John Martin and Mr Stephen Barker of University College London and Professor Seppo Yla-Herttuala of the AI Virtanen Institute at the University of Kuopio, Finland, all of whom play leading roles in the Company’s research and development programmes.
Ark’s shares were first listed on the London Stock Exchange in March 2004 (AKT.L).
This announcement includes “forward-looking statements” which include all statements other than statements of historical facts, including, without limitation, those regarding the Group’s financial position, business strategy, plans and objectives of management for future operations (including development plans and objectives relating to the Group’s products and services), and any statements preceded by, followed by or that include forward-looking terminology such as the words “targets”, “believes”, “estimates”, “expects”, “aims”, “intends”, “will”, “can”, “may”, “anticipates”, “would”, “should”, “could” or similar expressions or the negative thereof. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors beyond the Group’s control that could cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Group to be materially different from future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on numerous assumptions regarding the Group’s present and future business strategies and the environment in which the Group will operate in the future. Among the important factors that could cause the Group’s actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include those relating to Ark’s funding requirements, regulatory approvals, clinical trials, reliance on third parties, intellectual property, key personnel and other factors. These forward-looking statements speak only as at the date of this announcement. The Group expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to disseminate any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained in this announcement to reflect any change in the Group’s expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statements are based. As a result of these factors, readers are cautioned not to rely on any forward-looking statement.
