MetrioPharm AG: MetrioPharm Announces Presentation of Preclinical Data on MP1032 in Multiple Sclerosis Therapy at ECTRIMS Congress 2018

Zurich, October 09, 2018. MetrioPharm AG, a clinical stage pharmaceutical biotech company developing new medications against chronic inflammatory diseases, today announces the presentation of preclinical data related to multiple sclerosis (MS) and the company's lead-compound MP1032 at the 34th ECTRIMS Congress. This congress is organized by the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS) and represents the world's largest annual international meeting devoted to basic and clinical research in MS.

The presentation details are as follows:

Abstract title:

Late-prophylactic or therapeutic treatment with immunomodulators of the MP1030 class ameliorate multiple sclerosis in mice

Poster-ID:

P884

Date:

October 11, 2018 (poster session 2)


Presenting Time:

17:15-19:15 h

Presented by:

Dr. Astrid Kaiser, Head of Drug Development

Dr. Sara Schumann, Project Manager Research and Development

Location:

Berlin, Germany

Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune inflammatory disease of the central nervous system leading to paralysis and visual impairments. When MS is diagnosed, patients are mostly suffering from a remitting-relapsing disease phenotype that is characterized by clearly defined attacks followed by periods of partial/complete recovery. After 10-15 years, most of these patients go on to develop secondary progressive MS, which can lead to severe disability. There is still an urgent medical need for safer therapies that can delay or prevent the progression of remitting-relapsing to secondary progressive MS. Preclinical data suggest that MP1032 may have this potential.

Inflammatory autoimmune diseases, such as MS and psoriasis share important features with respect to their immunological dysregulation and some psoriasis drugs are also approved for MS. Hence, MetrioPharm's Phase IIa results demonstrating efficacy, tolerability and safety of MP1032 in patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis, are also of interest for MS therapy.

"During the ECTRIMS congress, we will present comparative data on the efficacy of MP1032 vs. Dimethylfumarate (DMF) in two well-established experimental autoimmune encephalitis (EAE) models that resemble features of either human progressive or remitting-relapsing MS" explained Dr. Sara Schumann, Project Manager Research and Development. In both models, late-prophylactic as well as therapeutic treatment, MP1032 compared favorably to DMF. Dr. Astrid Kaiser (Head of Drug Development) commented "Combined with the excellent tolerability and safety of MP1032 in patients suffering from psoriasis, these EAE data suggest that MP1032 could be a very effective, safer and better tolerated alternative to DMF".

 

About MP1032

MP1032 is the lead compound of a class of proprietary immune modulators developed by MetrioPharm. MP1032 is believed to modulate the oxidative stress-mediated activation state of macrophages and downregulate the M1 state. In contrast to other immune-modulating and disease-modifying drugs, MP1032 does not impact T-cells and preferentially affects macrophages at the sites of inflammation. MP1032 has shown anti-inflammatory activity in animal models of disease and a favorable toxicology profile in pre-clinical studies.

For the first Phase II study with MP1032, the indication psoriasis was selected because this immune-induced inflammatory disease is regarded as a so-called »door-opener indication«. Successes in the treatment of psoriasis have already led to first indications of promise for use in other chronic inflammatory diseases, such as arthritis and multiple sclerosis.

About MetrioPharm

MetrioPharm AG is a pharmaceutical biotech company developing drugs for chronic inflammatory diseases such as psoriasis, arthritis, and multiple sclerosis. Such chronic diseases pose the greatest individual health risk. The goal of MetrioPharm AG is to make the therapy of chronic inflammatory diseases more effective and more tolerable. We hope to achieve a healthspan expansion for patients: We want to stop the progression of chronic inflammatory diseases as early as possible and significantly prolong the healthy lifespan of millions of people.

MetrioPharm AG was founded in 2007 and is headquartered in Zurich with research facilities in Berlin.

Forward-looking statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties and are consistent with MetrioPharm's assessment as of the date of this release. Such forward-looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond MetrioPharm's control, that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in these forward-looking statements. MetrioPharm does not assume any obligation to update forward-looking statements with respect to changed expectations or new events, conditions or circumstances on which these statements are based. A liability or guarantee and, if applicable, claims for topicality, correctness and completeness of these data and information are excluded and cannot be derived either explicitly or impliedly.