C4X Discovery Holdings Limited announces progress on immuno-inflammation programmes and appointment of new Board members
2024年7月22日 - 5:00PM
C4X Discovery Holdings
Limited
C4XD announces progress on
immuno-inflammation programmes and appointment of
new Board members
22 July 2024 - C4X Discovery
Limited (“C4XD”), a pioneering drug discovery company, today
provides an update on the business following its delisting from AIM
earlier in the year.
Clive Dix, Executive Chairman of C4XD,
said: “The great work at C4XD continues. We are utilising
our strong capital position to drive forward our
immuno-inflammatory portfolio, underpinned by our unique genetic
insights platform. Our business development and scientific teams
are hard at work presenting and networking at key scientific
conferences and industry events, showcasing our expertise in
immuno-inflammation, whilst ensuring that we have the right
contacts in place for future collaborations.
“With the shift in direction for the Company
away from the public markets, we sadly say goodbye to Simon
Harford, who has decided to step down after three years to focus on
other commitments. Simon has provided invaluable support and
guidance during his time with us, and we wish him the very best for
his future projects. At the same time, we are delighted to welcome
two new Non-Executive Board members: Harmesh Suniara, who joins us
from Lombard Odier 1798 Volantis, a great supporter of our
business; and Richard Jones, a respected finance operator within
the industry. Each bring unique and important skills which will
broaden and enhance the Board’s guidance and strategic direction to
drive a successful future for the Company.”
PipelineWe continue to advance
our small molecule drug discovery portfolio against a range of
targets in the immuno-inflammatory space where we have identified a
combination of unmet medical need, significant commercial potential
and practicable application of our core platforms, PatientSeek and
Conformetrix.
Our lead programme is an oral a4b7 integrin
inhibitor for use in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease
(‘IBD’). This integrin is the target for the clinically successful
biologic therapy Vedolizumab, (Entyvio), but a small-molecule
alternative would broaden patient access. Our Discovery scientists
are closing in on the shortlist of pre-clinical candidates with
planning for IND-enabling studies well underway.
In parallel, our Human Genetics team are
applying our PatientSeek platform to analyse a number of databases
in order to define a genetic fingerprint as a predictive genetic
biomarker for a4b7 response that will allow us to specifically
design our pivotal clinical trials for success. We have recently
published our first disclosure on the PatientSeek platform as
applied to Target Identification in rheumatoid arthritis
(Scientific Reports, 14, 14153 (2024)
doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-64970-0).
https://c4xdiscovery.com/unveiling-new-genetic-insights-in-rheumatoid-arthritis-for-drug-discovery-through-taxonomy3-analysis/
As part of C4XD’s journey from a Discovery to a
Therapeutics company with a clinical pipeline, we are building our
internal skillset appropriately whilst maintaining flexibility
through a range of external consultants, CROs and CDMOs in our
network.
We are now disclosing two programmes in our
pipeline behind our a4b7 programme in the Hit-To-Lead phase and
progressing towards Lead Optimisation. The first is an oral PAD4
inhibitor for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). PAD4 is an
enzyme involved in modifying a range of proteins through a process
known as citrullination; citrullinated proteins have increased
immunogenicity and arthritogenicity and their presence in arthritic
joints correlates with disease severity. Attenuating this process
therefore should provide an opportunity in moderate to severe
rheumatoid arthritis with First-In-Class potential.
Our second programme is an oral TNFa inhibitor
targeting a Best-In-Class profile with multiple possible
therapeutic applications, including RA and IBD. Tumor necrosis
factor (TNF) is a cytokine with a major role in immune system
homeostasis and is involved in a number of autoimmune and
inflammatory diseases. Biologics have been developed to block
TNF-dependant signalling cascades, but they are not without
side-effects and have an effectiveness that often decreases over
time. A small molecule therapy should be able to avoid such issues
and provide an attractive alternative therapeutic option across a
range of indications.
We also have a number of programmes in early
evaluation with the goal to assess their suitability for
progression.
BoardWe note the resignation of
Simon Harford after three years on the Board and thank him for his
support and counsel during this time. Separately, in line with the
delisting Circular, we are delighted to welcome two new
Non-Executive members to the C4XD Board appointed by Richard
Griffiths and Lombard Odier Asset Management (Europe) Limited:
Richard Jones is an experienced healthcare and
life sciences Director. He was most recently CFO of Medica Group, a
PE backed international tele-medicine business which was taken
private in a £270m deal by IK partners from the UK main market; and
is currently SID and Chair of the Audit Committee at Alliance
Pharma PLC, an AIM listed consumer healthcare company. Richard
previously gained extensive experience in the healthcare sector as
CFO at UK AIM Listed companies Mereo BioPharma Group PLC and Shield
Therapeutics PLC. At Mereo, he had a leading role in the merger
with US listed OncoMed Pharmaceuticals, Inc and its subsequent dual
listing on Nasdaq in 2019. At Shield, he established the finance
operations and guided the company through several private financing
rounds and its 2016 IPO. Prior to his CFO roles, Richard held
senior investment banking positions at Investec and Brewin Dolphin
Securities, where he advised healthcare clients on a wide range of
transactions and fundraisings including IPOs, M&A and
fundraisings. Richard qualified as a Chartered Accountant with
PwC.
Harmesh Suniara has over 15 years' experience of
working in investment management, with a particular focus on UK
small and mid-cap equities including the technology and life
sciences sectors. He brings a wealth of expertise in active
engagement with companies that Lombard Odier has invested in. He
has worked as a Portfolio Manager at Lombard Odier 1798 Volantis
since 2017, and prior to this he was an Investment Manager at
Henderson Volantis Capital and Gartmore Investment Management.
Harmesh graduated in Physics from the University of Cambridge.
Lombard Odier 1798 Volantis is a major shareholder in C4X
Discovery.
Contacts
C4X Discovery Holdings |
Mo Noonan, Communications |
+44 (0)787 6444977 |
|
|
C4X Discovery Media – ICR Consilium |
Mary-Jane Elliott, Chris Gardner, Angela Gray |
+44 (0)203 709 5700 |
Notes to Editors:
About C4X DiscoveryC4X
Discovery (C4XD) is a pioneering Drug Discovery company, combining
scientific expertise with cutting-edge technologies to efficiently
deliver world-leading medicines. We have a highly valuable and
differentiated approach to Drug Discovery through our enhanced
molecular design and patient stratification capabilities,
generating small molecule drug candidates across multiple disease
indications focused on immuno-inflammation. We are advancing our
internal portfolio which ranges from early-stage target
opportunities to late-stage Drug Discovery programmes and we have
two commercially partnered programmes with Sanofi and AstraZeneca,
and one clinical stage candidate which has been acquired by
Indivior.
For more information visit us at
www.c4xdiscovery.com or follow us on twitter @C4XDiscovery.