Cizzle Biotechnology Holdings (CIZ ) said “further strong evidence” that AZD1656 is a potentially valuable treatment for certain COVID-19 patients has been reported today.
Cizzle has built a significant royalty bearing economic interest in AZD1656 for the treatment of COVID-19 and other diseases such as Inflammatory pulmonary and cardiovascular disease.
Last month, the UK-based diagnostics developer entered into an agreement with Conduit Pharmaceuticals Limited (“Conduit”) and St George Street Capital (“SGSC”) to acquire a 5% uncapped economic interest after deductions in the commercialisation of AZD1656.
Originally developed by AstraZeneca as a diabetes treatment, the AZD1656 activator has an extensive record of safety in clinical studies involving more than one thousand subjects.
To date, preclinical data of AZD1656 has suggested a likely immune mode of action. As a result, SGSC has secured a licence to the agent as a therapy for inflammatory conditions.
Today, SGSC has announced further positive outcomes from a clinical study known as ARCADIA, confirming the potential value of AZD1656 treatment for COVID-19 patients.
In addition to the clinical benefit observed, the data was found to strongly support its rationale that AZD1656 can ‘dampen down the inflammatory response characteristic of COVID-19 infection, while enhancing the part of the immune response that helps fight the virus.’
Cizzle informed investors that SGSC update supports its ambitions to expand into the pharmaceutical industry and is in line with its strategy of building a portfolio of early cancer detection tests, companion diagnostics and royalty bearing stakes in related drug assets.
SGSC is a UK-based medical-charity led by a group of highly experienced academics and ex-pharma executives, that was formed to deliver much needed treatments to patients.
The charity’s strategy is to take clinical-ready assets from pharmaceutical companies and to progress them through Phase II trials before licensing them on for Phase III trials and commercialisation, to create a return for investors and the charity alike, Cizzle explained.
Currently, both SGSC and Conduit are said to be ‘actively engaged’ in several commercial discussions with a number of appropriate global and regional pharmaceutical companies.
The objective of these talks are ‘outright sale, partnership in future development or securing funding for the additional clinical studies necessary to get AZD1656 to market and patients.’
Allan Syms, Executive Chairman of Cizzle Biotechnology, commented: “The announcement today by SGSC is important because it provides further strong evidence that AZD1656 is a potentially valuable treatment for certain COVID-19 patients and that it seems to be providing benefit by acting as an immunomodulator, which damps down the inflammatory response.”
He said the positive data should support SGSC’s and Conduit’s commercial ambitions to secure agreements with appropriate pharmaceutical companies, which, in turn, should “ultimately yield revenues for Cizzle Biotechnology through our royalty sharing rights.”
Syms also highlighted to investors that SGSC has shown a role for AZD1656 in controlling Regulatory T Cells (“Tregs”), a factor which could be important in managing serious cardiovascular and lung diseases, and which are linked with the development of lung cancer.
He said this enhances the Company’s ambitions “to expand its target customer base in the pharmaceutical industry through a strategy of building a portfolio of early cancer detection tests, companion diagnostics and royalty bearing stakes in significant drug assets.”
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