Destiny to present at UK-China AMR Workshop

RNS Number : 2388V

Destiny Pharma PLC

02 December 2019

 

Destiny Pharma plc

("Destiny Pharma" or "the Company")

Destiny Pharma to present at the Partnerships to Tackle the Global Challenge of AMR, UK-China AMR Workshop

Brighton, United Kingdom - 2 December 2019 - Destiny Pharma (AIM: DEST), a clinical stage biotechnology company focused on the development of novel antimicrobial drugs that address clear commercial opportunities and also address the global problem of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), announces that Daniel Hynes, Director of Preclinical Development at Destiny Pharma, will present on the progress of a two-year China-UK Industrial Research programme researching novel antimicrobial candidates from the Company's XF drug platform for use against dermal and ocular infections at the Partnerships to Tackle the Global Challenge of AMR, UK-China AMR Workshop on 3-5 December, 2019 in Beijing, China.

Dr William Love, Chief Scientific Officer and Founder of Destiny Pharma, commented:

"We are delighted to be part of this UK-China AMR programme and to participate in this workshop with expert colleagues from China. Destiny is focused on developing clinically and commercially attractive new drugs that also address the serious global threat of AMR. Currently our lead drug candidate, XF-73, is in an important Phase 2b clinical study for the prevention of post-surgical hospital infections and we look forward to reporting results in mid-2020.

We are pleased with the progress we are making with our partners in this grant funded project investigating the potential for XF drugs to be used in new indications and look forward to reporting further updates in 2020".

Destiny Pharma was awarded a significant grant funding up to £1.6 million under a UK-China AMR programme in January 2019 researching novel antimicrobial candidates from the Company's XF drug platform for use against dermal and ocular infections. This collaboration with Cardiff University and Tianjin Medical University aims to identify safe and efficacious compounds with a reduced resistance profile.

The collaboration established under the UK-China AMR grant is funded by Innovate UK and the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology.

About China-UK Industrial Research programme

The new China-UK Industrial Research programme seeks to extend the knowledge base and activity profile of these novel drugs. This will include study of multi-drug resistant (MDR), Gram negative and positive, high priority bacterial pathogens in vitro, within biofilms and within in vivo bacterial infection models. It will also evaluate combining XF-drugs with existing antibiotics to synergise and/or restore their efficacy against priority antibiotic resistant bacteria. Data generated will help develop medicines that address the growth of bacterial resistance either as a single drug or restore efficacy of 'ineffective' antibiotics by combination therapy. These new products represent a significant commercial opportunity allowing the partners to expand investment in R&D activities including an increased academic collaboration. In addition, new combination drugs (incorporating a generic antibiotic) could be competitively priced to enhance access to effective, affordable drugs to healthcare service providers in low- and middle-income countries, (LMICs).

For further information, please contact:

Destiny Pharma plc

Neil Clark, CEO

Shaun Claydon, CFO

[e-mail] 

[phone]

FTI Consulting

Simon Conway / Victoria Foster Mitchell

[e-mail] 

[phone]

finnCap Ltd (Nominated Advisor Joint Broker)

Geoff Nash /Kate Bannatyne, Corporate Finance

Alice Lane, Corporate Broking

[phone]

WG Partners (Joint Broker)

Nigel Barnes / Claes Spång / Nigel Birks

[phone]

About Destiny Pharma

Destiny Pharma is an established, clinical stage, innovative biotechnology company focused on the development and commercialisation of novel medicines from its XF Platform that represent a new approach to the treatment of infectious disease. The company's lead programme is undergoing a Phase 2b clinical trial and is targeting the prevention of post-surgical hospital infections including MRSA. The XF drug candidates are being developed for the prevention and treatment of life-threatening infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria, often referred to as "superbugs". Tackling antimicrobial resistance has become a global imperative recognised by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the United Nations, as well as the G7 and the G20 countries. For further information, please visit https://www.destinypharma.com

About XF-73

XF-73 is a synthetic antimicrobial active against all tested Staphylococcus aureus strains, including drug‑resistant strains. By acting via a cell-surface mechanism it affects the bacterial membrane permeability and integrity, leading to cell death. XF-73 has already been through seven successful Phase I/II clinical trials showing it is safe and delivers a rapid antibacterial action. In standard microbiology studies XF drugs have demonstrated a unique no/low resistance profile that means that XF compounds have the potential to deliver novel drugs that are clearly differentiated from traditional antibiotics where resistance limits their utility.

XF-73 is being studies for the prevention of post-surgical staphylococcal infections. In the US, there are approximately 40 million surgeries per annum alone where the patient is at risk of a post-surgical infection. However, within this large population there are particular groups who are at an even higher risk of infection due to the nature of their surgery or the procedures and/or their specific hospital environment in which they are treated. These higher risk surgical procedures include cardiovascular, orthopaedic and other complex surgeries. Destiny Pharma estimates that this totals approximately 14 million US surgeries per year, with this figure set to rise within the context of an ageing population.

 

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