Group business Verona receives IND for RPL554

RNS Number : 6007C

Arix Bioscience Plc

18 April 2017

 

US FDA authorisation for Verona Pharma to proceed with clinical investigation of RPL554 with the acceptance of investigational new drug application

LONDON, 18 April, 2017: Arix Bioscience plc (LSE:ARIX) ("Arix Bioscience" or "the Company"), a global healthcare and life science company supporting medical innovation, is pleased to note the announcement today by Verona Pharma, in which it has a 6.6% holding, that it has received authorisation from the Food and Drug Administration to proceed with the first clinical trial of RPL554 in the US.

RPL554 is a first-in-class, inhaled, dual inhibitor of the enzymes phosphodiesterase 3 and 4, designed to have anti-inflammatory as well as bronchodilator properties, currently in development for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cystic fibrosis.

Verona Pharma has announced that it plans to initiate the pharmacokinetic clinical trial in the middle of this year to determine the oral bioavailability of RPL554, as well as assess the safety and tolerability of the drug. Top-line data is expected in the fourth quarter of 2017.

Joe Anderson, Chief Executive Officer of Arix Bioscience Plc, commented: "Verona is a dynamic company with an important drug asset, which we believe has the potential to address significant unmet needs in respiratory medicine.  RPL554 has shown potential in COPD and cystic fibrosis. This authorisation by the FDA puts it on a path towards advancing this promising candidate towards approval."

For more information, please contact:

Arix Bioscience plc

Joe Anderson, CEO

[phone]

Consilium Strategic Communications

Mary-Jane Elliott, Jessica Hodgson, Ivar Milligan

[phone]

[e-mail]

About Arix Bioscience plc

Arix Bioscience plc is a global healthcare and life science company supporting medical innovation. Headquartered in London and with an office in New York, Arix Bioscience sources, finances and builds world class healthcare and life science businesses addressing medical innovation at all stages of development. Operations are supported by privileged access to breakthrough academic science and strategic relationships with leading research accelerators and global pharmaceutical companies.

Arix Bioscience plc is listed on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange.

For further information, please visit www.arixbioscience.com

About Verona Pharma plc

Verona Pharma is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercialising innovative therapeutics for the treatment of respiratory diseases with significant unmet medical needs. Verona Pharma's product candidate, RPL554, is a first-in-class, inhaled, dual inhibitor of the enzymes phosphodiesterase 3 and 4 that acts as both a bronchodilator and an anti-inflammatory agent in a single compound. Verona Pharma is developing RPL554 for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cystic fibrosis, and potentially asthma.

 

END

 

 

NRALLFEISRITLID