Merdury signs MOU with Health2Sync to conduct trial of Merdury's StackDose technology intended for usage in GLP-1 (semaglutide) medication

TAIPEI, July 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Merdury Biopharmaceutical Corporation (Merdury) (Taipei Exchange Stock Code: 6932) announced today that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Health2Sync, Asia's largest chronic disease management platform. In this collaboration, the two parties aim to enhance the clinical evidence supporting the superior pharmacokinetic profile of oral semaglutide when delivered by Merdury's StackDose™ technology. As a GLP-1 agonist, semaglutide has demonstrated remarkable efficacy in treating diabetes and obesity. Its exceptional weight reduction capabilities led to FDA approval for weight management in the US in 2021, and it is rapidly gaining popularity in the US and around the world.

In the pre-clinical trials, Merdury saw encouraging results that the innovative formulation, which uses its StackDose™ technology platform, significantly enhances semaglutide's absorption and bioavailability, leading to prolonged blood concentration and extended duration of action compared to existing oral semaglutide formulations on the market. With the ambition of bringing more effective treatments worldwide, Merdury has filed patent applications for its technology in multiple countries.

"We are excited to partner with Health2Sync in clinical trials to demonstrate StackDose's ability to enhance the area under the [pharmacokinetic] curve (AUC)," said Elton Liang, CEO of Merdury Biopharmaceutical Corporation. "Health2Sync's established presence and robust platform in Taiwan will be instrumental in streamlining clinical trials and ultimately, bringing our innovative therapies to patients worldwide."

Compared to existing options, Merdury's oral tablets increases the total drug concentration in the blood by 1.5 times (AUC_0-∞) and reduces the time to peak blood concentration (T_max) by 43%. This translates to potentially faster efficacy for patients. To further validate these promising results, Health2Sync will leverage its cloud-based care platform and patient app to integrate users' continuous glucose monitoring data for the next phase of clinical trials. This partnership aims to demonstrate the highest levels of quality and efficacy in the clinical trial results of StackDose™, producing the evidence needed for licensing discussions with pharmaceutical companies with oral GLP-1 drugs in their portfolios.

"We're thrilled to partner with Merdury and leverage Health2Sync's platform to advance their innovative drug delivery technology," said Ed Deng, Co-founder and CEO of Health2Sync. "This collaboration underscores our commitment to empowering life sciences companies with the tools they need to accelerate clinical trials and deliver life-changing solutions to patients struggling with glucose control or weight management."

Health2Sync has partnered with the world's top life sciences companies active in metabolic disease, such as Abbott, AstraZeneca, Novo Nordisk and Sanofi, to promote digital diabetes solutions. The key markets cover Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Egypt, Australia, and other regions. With the Health2Sync app, users can now view their daily glucose patterns, record their diet and exercise diaries, and adjust the lifestyle habits with the assistance of healthcare professionals and over 80 integrations with smart devices.

About Health2Sync

Established in 2013 in Taiwan, Health2Sync made its footprints in Japan in 2018, generating nearly half of its revenue from overseas operations since then. Empowering users and healthcare professionals to effectively manage chronic conditions through early intervention will ultimately alleviate the financial burden on national healthcare systems. Health2Sync's insulin dose titration software, Insultrate, received Taiwan FDA approval as a Class II medical device in October 2023, becoming the first-ever digital therapeutic approved in Taiwan. This algorithmic product was recognized with the "18th National Innovation Award - Enterprise Innovation" award, while Health2Sync was further honored with the "NEXT BIG Startup" title by the National Development Council in the next year. As of June 2024, Health2Sync has over 1.3 million users worldwide.

For more information, visit http://www.health2sync.com

About Merdury Biopharmaceutical Corporation*:

Merdury Biopharmaceutical Corporation* was founded in July 2019, focuses on the development of medications for medical gaps. Merdury Biopharmaceutical Corporation* has developed "StackDose™ new drug technology development platform" that the new dosage tablets can be controlled-dissolved and absorbed at the targeted site by using a 3D powder-printing pharmaceutical manufacturing process combined with a patented pharmaceutical binding formulation, in addition to increasing the bioavailability of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) to achieve optimal efficacy, allowing for lower drug dosage and less side effects. The company is listed on the Emerging Stock Exchange on December 23, 2022, with a par value of NT$0.25 per share.

More information: https://www.merdury.com/.

Declaration:

The documents and information released at the same time include forecast narratives. All statements regarding Merdury Biopharmaceutical Corporation* (hereinafter referred to as the "Company")'s future operations, probable events, and prospects (including, but not limited to, forecasts, goals, estimates and operating plans), other than those that relate to facts that have already occurred, are statements of a prospective nature. Forecasts are subject to various factors and uncertainties that may cause them to differ materially from the actual situation. These factors include, but are not limited to, price fluctuations, actual demand, changes in foreign exchange rates, market share, market competition, changes in legal, financial, and regulatory frameworks, international economic and financial market conditions, political risks, cost estimates, and other risks and variables beyond the Company's control. These forward-looking statements are based on current projections and evaluations, and the Company is not responsible for future updates.

SOURCE Health2Sync