Poolbeg Pharma (POLB ) has published an end-of-year letter from Executive Chair Cathal Friel, reviewing progress made in 2025 and setting out expectations for several data readouts and programme milestones in 2026.
The company said its oversubscribed and upsized June 2025 fundraise raised gross proceeds of £4.865 million, extending its cash runway into 2027. Poolbeg also reported a cash balance of £10 million as at 30 June 2025, which it expects will support multiple clinical milestones, alongside operational efficiency measures implemented during the year, including selective headcount reductions.
Poolbeg highlighted continued preparations for the POLB 001 TOPICAL trial, including securing the approved bispecific antibody teclistamab from Johnson & Johnson at no cost, and signing with Accelerating Clinical Trials (ACT) to conduct the study led by Dr Emma Searle at The Christie NHS Foundation Trust. The company also confirmed participation from additional cancer centres, including NHS Foundation Trusts at The Royal Marsden, University College London Hospitals, and University Hospitals Birmingham, while the protocol has been finalised and POLB 001 shipment to sites is being prepared. Poolbeg added that the trial is designed as a single arm, open label study, with interim data expected in summer 2026.
In addition, Poolbeg referenced its December 2025 announcement that the TOPICAL trial will play a key role in the RISE programme, led by the University of Manchester and The Christie, which is investigating cancer immunotherapy induced cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and safer delivery of these treatments. Poolbeg is acting as the lead business partner alongside Johnson & Johnson and other participants.
The company said it continues partnering discussions with major and mid-sized pharmaceutical companies for POLB 001, which directors believe addresses a potential market opportunity of more than US$10 billion. During 2025, Poolbeg also secured Orphan Drug Designation from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and said it strengthened its intellectual property position with the granting of multiple new patents.
Poolbeg also outlined its oral glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) programme, where topline data from a proof of concept clinical trial in up to twenty obese subjects is expected in the first half of 2026. The trial is due to take place at the University of Ulster and will be led by a team that includes Professor Carel le Roux.
“As 2025 draws to a close, we wanted to reflect on the substantial progress made by Poolbeg this year, as we move POLB 001 into the clinic and anticipate data readouts from multiple clinical trials in 2026,” said Poolbeg’s Executive Chair Cathal Friel.
“2025 has been a remarkable year of significant achievement, positioning Poolbeg strongly to deliver on a series of exciting clinical milestones in 2026.”
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Poolbeg is heading into 2026 with funding in place and a clear run of near-term clinical catalysts across POLB 001 and its oral GLP-1 programme. If the TOPICAL interim readout lands on schedule in summer 2026, it could be an important step in demonstrating how POLB 001 might help address CRS, which remains a practical barrier to broader use of some cancer immunotherapies.