4BB 4basebio Plc

 
TIDM4BB 
 
27 April 2021 
 
                             4basebio UK Societas 
                  ("4basebio", the "Company" or the "Group") 
 
               Evaluation licence for muscular dystrophy vector 
 
4basebio UK Societas (AIM: 4BB), the specialist life sciences group focused on 
exploiting intellectual property in the field of gene therapies and DNA 
vaccines, is pleased to announce it has signed research collaboration and 
evaluation license agreements with Royal Holloway University of London (RHUL). 
Under the terms of the agreements, the parties will collaborate to develop a 
HermesTM based non-viral vector incorporating a patented full length dystrophin 
gene with the view to developing a novel therapy for treatment of Duchenne 
muscular dystrophy (DMD). 
 
4basebio will fund a two year collaboration with the Translational Genetic 
Medicine Laboratory at RHUL led by Dr. Linda Popplewell. 4basebio will take 
charge of the design and development of muscle targeting HermesTM vectors 
whilst the team at RHUL will be responsible for in vitro and in vivo validation 
of the vectors and evaluate their efficacy for treatment of muscular dystrophy 
in appropriate models. The vectors will incorporate RHUL's patented, highly 
expressive full length dystrophin gene. 
 
Muscular dystrophies (MD) are a group of inherited genetic conditions that 
gradually cause the muscles to weaken, leading to an increasing level of 
disability.  MD is a progressive condition, which often begins by affecting a 
particular group of muscles, before affecting the muscles more widely. 
Some types of MD eventually affect the heart or the muscles used for breathing, 
at which point the condition becomes life-threatening. Successful completion of 
this project will pave the way to further progress the vector to a potential 
gene therapy for DMD, the most common of the MDs, through pre-clinical proof of 
concept. 
 
The project is expected to extend over two years; the terms of a commercial 
licence have also been agreed between the parties, which the Company has an 
option to exercise, should this first stage project prove successful. 
 
Dr Heikki Lanckriet, CEO and CSO for 4basebio noted: "We are delighted to have 
signed these agreements with Royal Holloway and are very pleased to be working 
with Dr Popplewell who is a world leading expert in the development of novel 
treatments for DMD.  Our Cambridge team is looking forward to collaborating 
with the Popplewell Research Group in developing a non-viral based delivery 
system capable of delivering full length genes to muscle cells." 
 
Dr Linda Popplewell of RHUL has said: "Gene therapies approved for DMD are 
mutation-specific and those undergoing clinical testing deliver shortened 
versions of the dystrophin gene with limited therapeutic potential. This 
exciting collaboration provides a fantastic opportunity to develop a therapy 
applicable to all patients and capable of restoring full length dystrophin 
protein expression." 
 
This announcement contains inside information for the purposes of the UK Market 
Abuse Regulation. 
 
For further enquiries, please contact: 
 
4basebio UK Societas         +44 (0)12 2396 7943 
Heikki Lanckriet 
 
Nominated Adviser                 +44 (0)20 7213 0880 
Cairn Financial Advisers LLP 
Jo Turner / Sandy Jamieson 
 
Broker                              +44 (0)20 7220 0500 
finnCap Ltd 
Geoff Nash/Richard Chambers/Charlotte Sutcliffe 
 
 
 
END 
 
 

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April 27, 2021 02:00 ET (06:00 GMT)

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