Author: Michael

Includes new US-based global corporate investor

21st January 2021 – St. Andrews, Scotland – Pneumagen Ltd, focused on preventing and treating respiratory infections by targeting the human glycome, today announced a further GBP2.5 million investment from existing investors plus a new undisclosed global corporate investor, based in the US. The investment will be used to support the clinical development of Neumifil™ in 2021 as an intra-nasal formulation for the prevention and treatment of influenza, Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) and COVID-19. This additional investment follows on from last year’s announcement of a GBP £4 million investment, and brings the total amount of financing raised to circa £9.5 million.

Neumifil™ is a first-in-class Carbohydrate Binding Module (mCBMs), generated using the Company’s proprietary GlycoTarge™ platform. This unique modality binds to receptors that are used by pathogens to enter the respiratory airways, thereby preventing infection and avoiding resistance. It is being developed for the universal treatment of respiratory tract infections (RTIs) caused by Influenza Virus and Respiratory Syncytial Virus, and now coronaviruses including SARS-CoV-2, the cause of COVID-19. Neumifil has the potential to revolutionise the treatment of RTIs, providing patients total protection against respiratory pathogens including COVID-19 variant strains or new emerging viruses with pandemic potential.

Douglas Thomson, CEO of Pneumagen, said: “Our mission is to develop our novel pan viral approach to combat infectious respiratory diseases such as influenza, RSV, COVID-19, and other emerging viruses with pandemic potential. I am delighted with this additional investment and the endorsement that the participation of our new corporate investor brings. This investment will enable us to progress Neumifil into the clinic in mid 2021, as a universal intra-nasal treatment for infectious diseases.”

It is October, which features a high point with BIO-Europe Digital, one of Europe’s largest life sciences gatherings, now fully online. We are delighted that Pneumagen is featured in Scrip’s 10 to Watch—A spotlight presentation track curated by Scrip from Informa Pharma Intelligence. Scrip’s editorial team has identified 10 emerging companies displaying innovative promise in drug discovery and development. Hear our CEO, Douglas Thomson talk about all we’re doing to develop Neumifil, a self-administered intranasal product, as a pan-viral solution for the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases including influenza, RSV and COVID-19. Our on-demand presentation is viewable by all registered delegates. https://bit.ly/3lbW25q

 Leading Virology Experts Support Development of Neumifil for Viral Infections, Including COVID-19

16 Sept 2020 – St Andrews, Scotland – Pneumagen Ltd, focused on treating infectious diseases by targeting the human glycome, today announced completion of its new Scientific Advisory Board, with the addition of Dr Richard J. Webby at the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, USA, and Professor Jürgen Haas at the Edinburgh Medical School, UK.

The company also announces that Dr David Howat has been appointed as Development Director. Dr. Howat has run drug development in many small biotech/pharmaceutical companies, most recently at Haoma Medica Ltd and previously at Evgen Plc. During these projects he managed CMC, safety toxicology, regulatory, and clinical trial activities.

Neumifil is a first-in-class Carbohydrate Binding Modules (mCBMs), generated using the Company’s proprietary GlycoTarge™ platform. This unique modality binds to receptors that are used by pathogens to enter the respiratory airways, thereby preventing infection and avoiding resistance. It is being developed for the universal treatment of respiratory tract infections (RTIs) caused by Influenza Virus and Respiratory Syncytial Virus, as well as SARS-CoV-2, the cause of COVID-19.

Douglas Thomson, CEO of Pneumagen, said: “I am delighted that Richard and Jürgen have joined our Scientific Advisory Board, bringing a wealth of experience to support our ambitious development programme to test the safety and efficacy of Neumifil as a universal treatment for RTIs in humans, including COVID-19. I also welcome David to the team and thank Professor David Harrison for his sterling service supporting the company to date.”

Dr Webby said, “I have long been fascinated by influenza virus ecology, vaccination, and pathogenicity, and am excited to use my knowledge to help progress the outstanding science underpinning the development of Pneumagen’s portfolio in respiratory tract infections. This approach with Neumifil could provide particular benefit in high risk groups as a potential pan-viral treatment for RTIs including pandemic viruses, including COVID-19.”

Professor Haas, Head of Infection Medicine, and Professor of Viral Genomics, at Edinburgh Medical School said, “In my lab we focus on the viral host factors determining pathogenicity and susceptibility. The development of a range of effective treatments to combat coronaviruses is crucial. I am looking forward to working with Douglas and his team to develop Neumifil into a drug that could protect people against respiratory pathogens including emerging viruses with pandemic potential.”

The complete Pneumagen SAB now comprises Dr Webby, Professor Haas, Professor Moira Whyte at the University of Edinburgh, Professor Paul Crocker at the University of Dundee, and Sir John Skehel of the Royal Society and The Francis Crick Institute. The SAB is chaired by Professor Garry Taylor, recent Master of the University of St. Andrews. Professor David Harrison at the University of St Andrews, steps down from the SAB.

Full details of the members are here: https://www.pneumagen.com/about-us.html

27th May 2020 – St Andrews, Scotland – Pneumagen (Holdings) Ltd, focused on treating infectious diseases by targeting the human glycome, today announced a GBP £4 million investment to allow the clinical development of Neumifil for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19. The investment was led by Thairm Bio (Thairm) with additional investment from the Scottish Investment Bank (SIB). The investment will progress its lead candidate, Neumifil™ into a clinical trial for COVID-19.

Neumifil is a first-in-class Carbohydrate Binding Modules (mCBMs), generated using the Company’s proprietary GlycoTarge™ platform. It is being developed for the universal treatment of respiratory tract infections (RTIs) caused by Influenza Virus and Respiratory Syncytial Virus, and now coronaviruses including SARS-CoV-2, the cause of COVID-19. Neumifil has the potential to revolutionise the treatment of RTIs, providing patients total protection against respiratory pathogens including emerging viruses with pandemic potential.

The investment follows exciting data from pre-clinical studies in COVID-19 using plaque reduction assays. The testing conducted at Public Health England’s (PHE) Porton facility, and from the University of Glasgow’s MRC Centre for Virus Research, demonstrated efficacy in inhibiting SARS-CoV-2 infection. Results from this work were announced on the 28th April 2020.

Douglas Thomson, CEO of Pneumagen, said: “I am delighted that Thairm has chosen to support our ambitious development programme to test the efficacy of Neumifil against COVID-19 in humans, planned in the first half of 2021. The continued support from the Scottish Investment Bank will ensure that this is achieved and will further support Neumifil as a universal drug for RTIs that now includes COVID-19.”

Mark Bamforth at Thairm, said “We are pleased to be able to back the development of Pneumagen’s exciting portfolio in respiratory tract infections. We believe that this approach could provide particular benefit as a protection pan-viral treatment for RTIs including pandemic viruses, such as COVID-19.”

Kerry Sharp, Director, Scottish Investment Bank, said: “Scientists globally are working around the clock to halt the spread of COVID-19. It could take several months or even years for a vaccine to be approved, so the development of effective treatments is crucial.

“The positive results of Pneumagen’s early studies are an encouraging step forward. With our continued support, we hope the company can develop a drug that will help protect people from the current pandemic and any future outbreaks.”

About Pneumagen

Pneumagen is using its platform technology, GlycoTarge, to develop glycan targeted carbohydrate-binding module domains (mCBMs) derived from bacterial glycosidases as a new universal therapeutic modality for the prevention and treatment of respiratory tract infections (RTIs). These engineered mCBMs have been shown to prevent and treat respiratory infections by binding to epithelial cell surface glycan receptors present in the respiratory tract, used by several pathogens for entry.

Pneumagen’s lead product, Neumifil, is a first-in-class mCBM40 being developed for the universal treatment of Influenza Virus (IFV), Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), and coronavirus COVID-19 infections. When administered intranasally in preclinical models, Neumifil has demonstrated prevention, treatment and post-exposure prophylaxis of IFV and RSV infection with no observed toxicity. Pneumagen’s mCBMs, in development for cancer, are known as Neumonco. In vitro data have demonstrated that mCBMs target cancer cells, reducing cell proliferation, migration, metabolism and differentiation.

The Company is a spin-out from the University of St Andrews in Scotland and has access to world-class scientific expertise and capabilities in glycobiology. Please visit www.pneumagen.com for more information.

Contact details:

Katja Stout, Scius Communications

katja@sciuscommunications.com

+447789435990

Douglas Thomson, Pneumagen

douglas.thomson@pneumagen.com

+447748357352

The BBC’s Scottish News Programme The Nine interviewed Professor Garry Taylor about Pneumagen’s recent announcement of antiviral effects of their Novel Glycan Approach in targeting COVID-19 Infections.

Novel Carbohydrate Binding Modules (mCBMs) block entry into airway cells for a range of viruses causing respiratory tract infections. Results show Pneumagen’s mCBMs demonstrate activity against coronaviruses.

28th April 2020 – St Andrews, Scotland – Pneumagen Ltd, a University of St Andrews spinout, focused on treating infectious disease and oncology by targeting the human glycome, today announced results from three separate in vitro studies into preventing coronavirus infections including SARS-CoV-2 infection the cause of COVID-19 using Neumifil™ and other first-in-class multivalent Carbohydrate Binding Modules (mCBMs), generated using its proprietary GlycoTarge™ platform.

Working closely with Public Health England’s Porton facility, and separately the University of Glasgow’s MRC Centre for Virus Research, Pneumagen has tested the activity of its mCBMs against coronaviruses, using plaque reduction assays. At Porton and the University of Glasgow, Pneumagen’s mCBMs were found to reduce the number of SARS-CoV-2 plaques in these assays when the mCBMs were used in both prevention and treatment of infection. This builds on the company’s own work, with a different clinically relevant coronavirus that can cause the common cold where a plaque reduction assay also demonstrated antiviral activity for mCBMs.

Pneumagen’s lead mCBM, Neumifil™, is already being developed for the universal treatment of respiratory tract infections (RTIs) including Influenza Virus (IFV) and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), and now coronaviruses. Neumifil’s novel mechanism of action, masking glycan receptors in patients’ airways thereby preventing the entry of the virus, has the potential to revolutionise the treatment of RTIs by providing clinicians with the opportunity to offer patients total protection against any circulating viral strain.

Douglas Thomson, CEO of Pneumagen, said: “Today’s positive results from in vitro studies of our mCBMs against coronaviruses show that glycan binding has the potential to prevent and treat infection. This further supports the value of our universal therapeutic modality to block access to lung cells of SARS-CoV-2, as well as other viruses, that causes respiratory tract infections, providing the potential for a pan-viral respiratory product. Our goal is now to rapidly begin clinical testing for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19.”

About Pneumagen

Pneumagen is using its platform technology, GlycoTarge, to develop glycan targeted carbohydrate-binding module domains (mCBMs) derived from bacterial glycosidases as a new universal therapeutic modality for the prevention and treatment of respiratory tract infections (RTIs). These engineered mCBMs have been shown to prevent and treat respiratory infections by binding to epithelial cell surface glycan receptors present in the respiratory tract, used by several pathogens for entry.

Pneumagen’s lead product, Neumifil, is a first-in-class mCBM40 being developed for the universal treatment of Influenza Virus (IFV), Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), and coronavirus COVID-19 infections. When administered intranasally in preclinical models, Neumifil has demonstrated prevention, treatment and post-exposure prophylaxis of IFV and RSV infection with no observed toxicity. Pneumagen’s mCBMs, in development for cancer, are known as Neumonco. In vitro data have demonstrated that mCBMs target cancer cells, reducing cell proliferation, migration, metabolism and differentiation.

The Company is a spin-out from the University of St Andrews in Scotland and has access to world-class scientific expertise and capabilities in glycobiology. Please visit www.pneumagen.com for more information.

Contact details:

Katja Stout, Scius Communications

katja@sciuscommunications.com

+447789435990

Douglas Thomson, Pneumagen

douglas.thomson@pneumagen.com

+447748357352

17th March 2020 – St Andrews, Scotland – Pneumagen Ltd, focused on treating infectious disease and oncology by targeting the human glycome, today announced it has initiated a new programme to prevent and treat coronavirus COVID-19 infections using its first-in-class Carbohydrate Binding Modules (mCBMs), generated using its proprietary GlycoTarge™ platform.
Pneumagen’s lead mCBM, Neumifil™, is already being developed for the universal treatment of respiratory tract infections (RTIs) including Influenza Virus (IFV) and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), and now coronaviruses including COVID-19. Neumifil’s novel mechanism of action, masking glycan receptors in patients’ airways and thereby preventing the entry of the virus, has the potential to revolutionise the treatment of RTIs by providing clinicians with the opportunity to offer patients total protection against all viral strains, thus overcoming current vaccine limitations caused by viruses mutating and allowing the treatment to be stockpiled in advance for pandemic use.

Pneumagen has already demonstrated significant preclinical efficacy in several other RTIs caused by viruses, including RSV & IFV, providing the potential for a pan-viral respiratory product. The new programme now seeks to extend this efficacy to coronavirus COVID-19.
Douglas Thomson, CEO of Pneumagen, said: “We’re committed to support the global effort to treat the coronavirus pandemic and believe our universal therapeutic modality has the potential to block access to lung cells of the COVID-19 virus that causes respiratory tract infections. This builds on proven pre-clinical efficacy we’ve shown against flu, RSV, parainfluenza, and other viruses. Importantly, this non-vaccine approach should work well in the elderly and immune-compromised, who are the most at risk, and provide immediate protection against infection. With new funding, we would be able to move rapidly into clinical studies. We already have a manufacturing process in place and material for further testing.”
Sir John Skehel FRS FMedSci, a world leader in influenza research, and Pneumagen SAB member, said, “Pneumagen’s GlycoTarge platform provides a novel way of blocking virus transmission and could be an additional line of defence against COVID-19: if the virus is prevented from getting into lung cells its ability to cause disease is reduced.”

About Pneumagen
Pneumagen is using its platform technology, GlycoTarge, to develop glycan targeted carbohydrate-binding module domains (mCBMs) derived from bacterial glycosidases as a new universal therapeutic modality for the prevention and treatment of respiratory tract infections (RTIs). These engineered mCBMs have been shown to prevent and treat respiratory infections by binding to epithelial cell surface glycan receptors present in the respiratory tract, used by several pathogens for entry.

Pneumagen’s lead product, Neumifil, is a first-in-class mCBM40 being developed for the universal treatment of Influenza Virus (IFV), Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), and coronavirus COVID-19 infections. When administered intranasally in preclinical models, Neumifil has demonstrated prevention, treatment and post-exposure prophylaxis of IFV and RSV infection with no observed toxicity. Pneumagen’s mCBMs, in development for cancer, are known as Neumonco. In vitro data have demonstrated that mCBMs target cancer cells, reducing cell proliferation, migration, metabolism and differentiation.
The Company is a spin-out from the University of St Andrews in Scotland and has access to world-class scientific expertise and capabilities in glycobiology. Please visit www.pneumagen.com for more information.

Contact details:

Katja Stout, Scius Communications
katja@sciuscommunications.com
+447789435990

Douglas Thomson, Pneumagen
douglas.thomson@pneumagen.com
+447748357352

12 November 2019 – St Andrews, Scotland – Pneumagen Ltd, focused on treating infectious disease and oncology by targeting the human glycome, today presented a poster at the RSVVW 2019 meeting in Accra, Ghana, hosted by the Respiratory Syncytial Virus Network (ReSViNET) Foundation.

The poster describes how sialic acids decorate the surfaces of most animal cells and are the receptor for the binding of many microbial pathogens, including the influenza virus. A host-targeted approach to the prevention or treatment of disease caused by sialic acid-targeting pathogens works by masking the receptor to prevent cell binding, entry and replication. Pneumagen has developed multivalent sialic acid-binding proteins which bind sialic acid with sub-nanomolar affinity, and which we have shown to protect mice from lethal doses of a range of influenza viruses, including H1N1, H7N9 and H5N1 (Connaris et al., 2014 PNAS 111, 6401-6406; Govorkova et al., 2015 AAC 59, 1495-1504).

Pneumagen recently investigated the potential of Neumifil as a preventative or treatment for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection. The Company showed that Neumifil, when given prophylactically or as a treatment, leads to a significant reduction in lung virus titre in mice infected with hRSV-A2. The ability of Neumifil to reduce infection by two of the leading causes of respiratory disease, suggests its potential as a pan-viral biologic for the prevention and treatment of infection by a range of respiratory pathogens.

To view the full poster please click here to download.

About Pneumagen

Pneumagen is using its platform technology, GlycoTargeTM, to develop glycan targeted carbohydrate -binding module domains (mCBMs) derived from bacterial sialidases as a new universal therapeutic modality for the treatment of respiratory tract infections (RTIs) and cancer. These engineered mCBMs have been shown to prevent and treat respiratory infections by binding to epithelial cell surface sialic acid receptors present in the respiratory tract, used by several pathogens for entry.

Pneumagen’s lead product, NeumifilTM, is a first-in-class mCBM40 being developed for the universal treatment of Influenza Virus (IFV) and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) infections. When administered intranasally in preclinical models, NeumifilTM has demonstrated prevention, treatment and post-exposure prophylaxis of IFV and RSV infection with no observed toxicity.

Contact details:

Katja Stout, Scius Communications

katja@sciuscommunications.com

+447789435990

Douglas Thomson, Pneumagen

douglas.thomson@pneumagen.com

+447748357352

15 October 2019 – St Andrews, Scotland – Pneumagen Ltd, focused on treating infectious disease and oncology by targeting the human glycome, today announced promising in vivo data in oncology from a novel Carbohydrate Binding Module (mCBM) generated from its proprietary GlycoTarge™ platform.

The study results demonstrate that Pneumagen’s oncology targeted mCBMs, known as Neumonco™, significantly inhibits tumour growth in an orthotopic mouse xenograft model of human ovarian cancer. In this study Neumonco was administered intraperitoneally into mice for the first time and tumour growth was measured using bioluminescence imaging. Results demonstrated tolerability and efficacy, yielding a statistically significant inhibition in tumour mass compared to the control group. In vitro data has previously demonstrated that mCBMs target cancer cells directly, reducing cancer cell proliferation, migration, and altering metabolism.

Pneumagen’s platform technology, GlycoTarge, has generated a portfolio of engineered oligomers of monomeric carbohydrate binding modules (CBMs), derived from carbohydrate-active enzymes. These CBMs are genetically linked in tandem, with a trimerisation domain, resulting in multivalent proteins (mCBMs) with greatly increased binding affinities for their respective glycan targets. Pneumagen is utilising this technology for a universal treatment of respiratory tract infections (RTIs) but has now shown this platform has direct utility in the emerging and exciting area of novel glycan-targeted cancer therapeutics.

Douglas Thomson, CEO of Pneumagen, said: “We are very excited by these results from our first in vivo oncology study demonstrating the efficacy of our platform. We now intend to progress our lead Neumonco candidate to the next stage of development as well as extending further the GlycoTarge platform in cancer.”

Pneumagens’ oncology research has been funded in part by a SMART:SCOTLAND grant from  Scottish Enterprise.  SMART:SCOTLAND awards aim to support ambitious R&D projects by SMEs based in Scotland.

About Pneumagen

Pneumagen is using its platform technology, GlycoTarge™, to develop glycan targeted carbohydrate -binding module domains (mCBMs) derived from bacterial sialidases as a new universal therapeutic modality for the treatment of respiratory tract infections (RTIs) and cancer. These engineered mCBMs have been shown to prevent and treat respiratory infections by binding to epithelial cell surface sialic acid receptors present in the respiratory tract, used by several pathogens for entry.

Pneumagen’s lead product, Neumifil™, is a first-in-class mCBM40 being developed for the universal treatment of Influenza Virus (IFV) and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) infections. When administered intranasally in preclinical models, Neumifil™ has demonstrated prevention, treatment and post-exposure prophylaxis of IFV and RSV infection with no observed toxicity. Pneumagen’s mCBMs, in development for cancer, are known as Neumonco™. In vitro data have demonstrated that mCBMs target cancer cells, reducing cell proliferation, migration, metabolism and differentiation.

The Company is a spin-out from the University of St Andrews in Scotland and has access to world-class scientific expertise and capabilities in glycobiology. Please visit www.pneumagen.com for more information.

Contact details:

Katja Stout, Scius Communications

katja@sciuscommunications.com

+447789435990

Douglas Thomson, Pneumagen

douglas.thomson@pneumagen.com

+447748357352