Specialised Therapeutics acquires commercialisation rights to new oral MND therapy

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Aug 27, 2023, 16:00 ET

.. ST to partner with Dutch biotech company Treeway BV

.. First CNS therapy in ST therapeutic portfolio

SINGAPORE, Aug. 27, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Independent biopharmaceutical company Specialised Therapeutics Asia Pte Ltd (ST) will partner with Netherlands based biotechnology company Treeway BV to commercialise a new therapy to treat Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) – the most common form of Motor Neurone Disease (MND) - in Australia and New Zealand.

The therapy is known as TW001 and is a unique oral formulation of edaravone which works by reducing the oxidative damage associated with neuron death in ALS.¹TW001 is currently being evaluated in the pivotal ADORE phase III registration study at almost 40 global sites.²

Australian neurologist Associate Professor Susan Mathers said around 2000 people were living with MND at any one time in Australia, and an oral therapy like edaravone presented the opportunity for patients to be managed at home.

Associate Professor Mathers commented: "Better disease modifying therapies are urgently needed to slow and potentially halt this disease. Oral therapies like edaravone present the opportunity for a simple to manage therapy which can be taken at home and monitored through each person's local health care provider."

And key patient advocacy body MND Australia is also welcoming the potential for this new oral treatment option.

Executive Director, Research Gethin Thomas commented: "Oral edaravone would complement the recent approval of intravenous edaravone in Australia and broaden the patient base able to access treatment."

Under the terms of the licensing agreement, ST will be responsible for all marketing, regulatory and distribution activities of TW001 for ALS/MND in Australia and New Zealand.

Announcing the partnership, ST Chief Executive Officer Carlo Montagner said TW001 was the first central nervous system (CNS) therapy to be included in the company's therapeutic portfolio and the arrangement was further endorsement of ST's regional capabilities and focus on making available in this region unique therapies that would otherwise not be accessible.

"We are delighted to partner with Treeway as this promising treatment progresses through the final stages of the pivotal global registration ADORE study," he said. "We look forward to working with the wider MND community, who are determined to access new therapies to treat this terrible disease. "While there is still no cure for MND, we remain hopeful that new therapies such as TW001 may help to slow disease progression and improve outcomes."

Treeway CEO Inez de Greef commented: "This important therapy has shown very encouraging results in all studies to date. We look forward to further results from the ADORE study and then working with ST to make our therapy available for all eligible patients in Australia and New Zealand who may benefit. ST is focussing on bringing new therapies to the market for diseases with a high medical need and therefore ST fits well as a licensing partner for Treeway."

Ends.

About Specialised Therapeutics

Headquartered in Singapore, Specialised Therapeutics Asia Pte Ltd (ST) is an international biopharmaceutical company established to commercialise new therapies and technologies to patients throughout Southeast Asia, as well as in Australia and New Zealand. ST and its regional affiliates collaborate with leading global pharmaceutical and diagnostic companies to bring novel, innovative and life-changing healthcare solutions to patients affected by a range of diseases. Its mission is to provide therapies where there is an unmet need. The company's broad therapeutic portfolio currently includes novel agents in oncology, haematology, neurology, ophthalmology and supportive care. Additional information can be found at www.stbiopharma.com.

About Treeway

Treeway is a clinical-stage biotechnology company with a mission to develop therapies to cure ALS and other neurodegenerative diseases. Founded in 2012 by two ALS patients, Treeway is commited to developing the neurodegenerative disease drugs of tomorrow. Treeway's research and development portfolio has a strong focus on ALS and Alzheimer's Disease and is continuously looking to expand the therapeutic targets within the neurodegenerative diseases arena.
Treeway, Therapy development inspired by patients
www.treeway.nl

About ALS^3,

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), the most frequent motor neuron disease, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease of motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord, resulting in progressive paralysis, with death typically within 2 to 5 years of diagnosis.

ALS is a rare disease that typically occurs in people between 40-70 years old, slightly more men than women. It is caused by a multitude of factors: 10-15% of cases may have a genetic/family link, while 85-90% are considered sporadic, with no known cause.

References:

AlzForum Foundation Inc. https://www.alzforum.org/therapeutics/edaravone
Clinicaltrials.gov ADORE Study (NCT05178810)
Masrori and Van Damme; Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a clinical review. European Journal of Neurology 2020, 27: 1918– 1929

SOURCE Specialised Therapeutics