Southampton, UK, 22 July 2015: Synairgen plc (LSE: SNG), the respiratory drug discovery and development company, is pleased to announce that AstraZeneca has commenced its Phase IIa study of AZD9412 (inhaled interferon beta, developed by Synairgen and formerly known as SNG001). The study population will comprise patients with severe asthma, building on the clinical data from Synairgen’s exploratory Phase lla trial in moderate to severe asthma, which showed that difficult to treat asthma patients appeared to derive most benefit from therapy.
AZD9412, a novel, inhaled interferon beta, supports the immune system by correcting a deficiency which makes patients vulnerable to respiratory tract viral infections. The programme was out-licensed to AstraZeneca by Synairgen in June 2014 in a global deal worth up to $232 million plus tiered royalties. AstraZeneca is responsible for all development, regulatory and commercial activities and on-going costs associated with this programme. The licence agreement with AstraZeneca also provides the opportunity to expand the clinical programme into other pulmonary diseases, including COPD.
This placebo-controlled Phase IIa trial seeks to enroll 220 asthma patients from countries in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres (to maximize the benefit of access to a ‘continuous’ cold season). The study population will be GINA Step 4/5 asthma patients (that is patients requiring treatment with medium-to-high dose inhaled corticosteroids and a second controller medication) who have a history of severe exacerbations caused by cold viruses. The primary endpoint for the trial is the number of severe exacerbations during the 14 day dosing period. Further details about the trial are given on www.clinicaltrials.gov .
Richard Marsden, Chief Executive Officer of Synairgen, commented: “We are delighted with the progress of the AZD9412 Phase IIa clinical trial and AstraZeneca’s commitment to this exciting programme. We look forward to seeing the results in early 2017.”
ENDS
For further information, please contact:
Synairgen plc
Richard Marsden, Chief Executive Officer
John Ward, Finance Director
Tel: + 44 (0) 23 8051 2800
finnCap
Geoff Nash, James Thompson (Corporate Finance)
Stephen Norcross, Simon Johnson (Corporate Broking)
Tel: + 44 (0) 20 7220 0500
Consilium Strategic Communications (Financial Media and Investor Relations)
Mary-Jane Elliott / Jessica Hodgson / Laura Thornton
synairgen@consilium-comms.com
Tel: +44 (0) 20 3709 5701
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