Tiziana Life Sciences Files Investigational New Drug Application with FDA for ALS Phase 2 Clinical Trial
March 04 2025 - 7:00AM
Tiziana Life Sciences, Ltd. (Nasdaq: TLSA) (“Tiziana” or the
“Company”), a biotechnology company developing breakthrough
immunomodulation therapies with its lead development candidate,
intranasal foralumab, a fully human, anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody,
today announced the submission of its Investigational New Drug
(IND) application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
for a phase 2 clinical trial in ALS. This pivotal step marks a
significant advancement in the company's commitment to advance a
new treatment approach for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
which is supported by the ALS Association.
This IND filing follows the prestigious award of a grant as part
of the Hoffman ALS Clinical Trial Awards Program from the ALS
Association. Tiziana’s intranasal foralumab development programs
are now focused on 3 neurodegenerative diseases. ALS, Multiple
Sclerosis, and Alzheimer’s disease. This grant provides a framework
for industry-academia collaboration where new discoveries are
translated to clinical studies through innovative research and
development.
ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease is a progressive
neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and
the spinal cord, ultimately leading to muscle weakness and
paralysis. ALS is an orphan disease, but its clinical course can be
rapid with marked disability even at an early stage. Over the
course of the disease, people lose the ability to move, to speak,
and eventually, to breathe. The disease is always fatal, usually
within five years of diagnosis. Despite its devastating impact,
treatment options remain limited, highlighting the critical
importance of advancing research efforts like those undertaken by
Tiziana Life Sciences.
Ivor Elrifi, CEO of Tiziana Life Sciences, expressed enthusiasm
about this milestone, stating, "We are excited to initiate this
important clinical study with the support of the ALS Association
grant. This filing represents a significant achievement for our
team and underscores our commitment to addressing the urgent
medical needs of ALS patients."
Upon FDA clearance of the IND application, Tiziana plans to
commence a 20-patient clinical trial of two doses of Tiziana’s
novel and patented therapeutic candidate, intranasal foralumab,
aimed at evaluating the safety and early-stage parameters of
disease improvement in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). The
company remains dedicated to delivering innovative solutions that
can potentially improve outcomes and quality of life for ALS
patients worldwide.
About Foralumab
Foralumab, a fully human anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody, is a
biological drug candidate that has been shown to stimulate T
regulatory cells when dosed intranasally. At present, 10 patients
with Non-Active Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis (na-SPMS)
have been dosed in an open-label intermediate sized Expanded Access
(EA) Program (NCT06802328) with either an improvement or stability
of disease seen within 6 months in all patients. The FDA has
recently allowed an additional 20 patients to be enrolled in this
EA program. In addition, intranasal foralumab is currently being
studied in a Phase 2a, randomized, double-blind,
placebo-controlled, multicenter, dose-ranging trial in patients
with non-active secondary progressive multiple sclerosis
(NCT06292923).
Activated T cells play an important role in the inflammatory
process. Foralumab, the only fully human anti-CD3 monoclonal
antibody (mAb) currently in clinical development, binds to the T
cell receptor and dampens inflammation by modulating T cell
function, thereby suppressing effector features in multiple immune
cell subsets. This effect has been observed in patients with COVID
and with multiple sclerosis, as well as in healthy normal subjects.
The non-active SPMS intranasal foralumab Phase 2 trial
(NCT06292923) began screening patients in November of 2023.
Immunomodulation by nasal anti-CD3 mAb represents a novel avenue
for treatment of neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative human
diseases.[1],[2]
About Tiziana Life Sciences
Tiziana Life Sciences is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical
company developing breakthrough therapies using transformational
drug delivery technologies to enable alternative routes of
immunotherapy. Tiziana’s innovative nasal approach has the
potential to provide an improvement in efficacy as well as safety
and tolerability compared to intravenous (IV) delivery. Tiziana’s
lead candidate, intranasal foralumab, which is the only fully human
anti-CD3 mAb currently in clinical development, has demonstrated a
favorable safety profile and clinical response in patients in
studies to date. Tiziana’s technology for alternative routes of
immunotherapy has been patented with several applications pending
and is expected to allow for broad pipeline applications.
For more information about Tiziana Life Sciences and its
innovative pipeline of therapies, please visit
www.tizianalifesciences.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements made in this announcement are forward-looking
statements. These forward-looking statements are not historical
facts but rather are based on the Company's current expectations,
estimates, and projections about its industry, its beliefs, and
assumptions. Words such as 'anticipates,' 'expects,' 'intends,'
'plans,' 'believes,' 'seeks,' 'estimates,' and similar expressions
are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These
statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject
to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, some
of which are beyond the Company's control, are difficult to
predict, and could cause actual results to differ materially from
those expressed or forecasted in the forward-looking statements.
The Company cautions security holders and prospective security
holders not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking
statements, which reflect the view of the Company only as of the
date of this announcement. Actual results may differ materially
from those indicated by such forward-looking statements as a result
of various important factors, including: the uncertainties related
to market conditions and other factors described more fully in the
section entitled ‘Risk Factors’ in Tiziana’s Annual Report on Form
20-F for the year ended December 31, 2023, and other periodic
reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.The
forward-looking statements made in this announcement relate only to
events as of the date on which the statements are made. The Company
will not undertake any obligation to release publicly any revisions
or updates to these forward-looking statements to reflect events,
circumstances, or unanticipated events occurring after the date of
this announcement except as required by law or by any appropriate
regulatory authority.
For further inquiries:
Tiziana Life Sciences LtdPaul Spencer, Business
Development, and Investor Relations+44 (0) 207 495
2379email: info@tizianalifesciences.com
[1] https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2220272120
[2] https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2309221120
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