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