Tiziana Life Sciences Announces $4 Million Grant Awarded by National Institutes of Health to Study Anti-CD3 in Alzheimer’s Disease
September 19 2024 - 7:00AM
Tiziana Life Sciences, Ltd. (Nasdaq: TLSA) (“Tiziana” or the
“Company”), a biotechnology company developing breakthrough
immunomodulation therapies with its lead development candidate,
intranasal foralumab, a fully human, anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody,
today announced the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National
Institute on Aging have awarded a $4 Million grant to Dr. Howard
Weiner as principal investigator at Brigham and Women’s Hospital to
be the key research site, to study nasal anti-CD3 for the treatment
of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). This significant grant will fund a key
research study over the next several years, advancing preclinical
and ultimately, clinical studies of intranasal anti-CD3 as a
potential treatment for this devastating neurodegenerative
condition.
“Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia,
affecting more than 6 million people in the United States alone.
Despite extensive research, effective treatments remain limited,
and the need for innovative therapeutic approaches is
urgent,” commented Howard L. Weiner, M.D., Principal
Investigator, Chairman of Tiziana’s Scientific Advisory Board and
co-director of the Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases at
Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a founding member of Mass General
Brigham healthcare system.
The NIH grant will allow the acceleration of ongoing research
efforts, including the advancement of preclinical studies and
preparations for clinical trials. Specifically, the research will
focus on the potential of anti-CD3 to modulate immune system
activity, reduce neuroinflammation, and ultimately slow the
progression of Alzheimer’s disease. The company’s proprietary
formulation of anti-CD3 is administered intranasally where it binds
to the T cell receptor, which then stimulates T regulatory cells
for delivery to the central nervous system.
Ivor Elrifi CEO of Tiziana Life Sciences commented, “We are
thrilled to be able to progress our pipeline with this prestigious
NIH grant, which underscores the potential of our anti-CD3 therapy
to address a critical unmet need in Alzheimer’s disease. This
funding will enable us to expand our research and move one step
closer to developing a new therapeutic option for patients and
families impacted by this debilitating condition. At Tiziana, we
remain committed to advancing science that could improve the
quality of life for patients through groundbreaking
immunotherapies.”
The NIH grant represents a major milestone in Tiziana’s
development pipeline and is part of the company’s broader strategy
to explore the use of anti-CD3 in a range of autoimmune and
inflammatory diseases. Tiziana's team of scientists and clinical
researchers are eager to build upon promising preclinical data that
suggest anti-CD3 has the potential to alter disease progression in
Alzheimer’s by targeting immune pathways involved in
neurodegeneration.
The company expects to initiate first-in-human clinical trials
in Alzheimer’s Disease patients using its intranasal anti-CD3
monoclonal antibody in the coming months, marking an important step
toward regulatory approval and commercialization.
About Foralumab
Foralumab, a fully human anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody, is a
biological drug candidate that has been shown to stimulate T
regulatory cells when dosed intranasally. At present, 10 patients
with Non-Active Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis (na-SPMS)
have been dosed in an open-label intermediate sized Expanded Access
(EA) Program with either an improvement or stability of disease
seen within 6 months in all patients. The FDA has recently allowed
an additional 20 patients to be enrolled in this EA program. In
addition, intranasal foralumab is currently being studied in a
Phase 2a, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled,
multicenter, dose-ranging trial in patients with non-active
secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (NCT06292923).
Activated T cells play an important role in the inflammatory
process. Foralumab, the only fully human anti-CD3 monoclonal
antibody (mAb) currently in clinical development, binds to the T
cell receptor and dampens inflammation by modulating T cell
function, thereby suppressing effector features in multiple immune
cell subsets. This effect has been observed in patients with COVID
and with multiple sclerosis, as well as in healthy normal subjects.
The non-active SPMS intranasal foralumab Phase 2 trial
(NCT06292923) began screening patients in November of 2023.
Immunomodulation by nasal anti-CD3 mAb represents a novel avenue
for treatment of neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative human
diseases.[1],[2]
About Tiziana Life Sciences
Tiziana Life Sciences is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical
company developing breakthrough therapies using transformational
drug delivery technologies to enable alternative routes of
immunotherapy. Tiziana’s innovative nasal approach has the
potential to provide an improvement in efficacy as well as safety
and tolerability compared to intravenous (IV) delivery. Tiziana’s
lead candidate, intranasal foralumab, which is the only fully human
anti-CD3 mAb currently in clinical development, has demonstrated a
favorable safety profile and clinical response in patients in
studies to date. Tiziana’s technology for alternative routes of
immunotherapy has been patented with several applications pending
and is expected to allow for broad pipeline applications.
For more information about Tiziana Life Sciences and its
innovative pipeline of therapies, please visit
www.tizianalifesciences.com
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements made in this announcement are forward-looking
statements. These forward-looking statements are not historical
facts but rather are based on the Company's current expectations,
estimates, and projections about its industry, its beliefs, and
assumptions. Words such as 'anticipates,' 'expects,' 'intends,'
'plans,' 'believes,' 'seeks,' 'estimates,' and similar expressions
are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These
statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject
to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, some
of which are beyond the Company's control, are difficult to
predict, and could cause actual results to differ materially from
those expressed or forecasted in the forward-looking statements.
The Company cautions security holders and prospective security
holders not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking
statements, which reflect the view of the Company only as of the
date of this announcement. Actual results may differ materially
from those indicated by such forward-looking statements as a result
of various important factors, including: the uncertainties related
to market conditions and other factors described more fully in the
section entitled ‘Risk Factors’ in Tiziana’s Annual Report on Form
20-F for the year ended December 31, 2023, and other periodic
reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.The
forward-looking statements made in this announcement relate only to
events as of the date on which the statements are made. The Company
will not undertake any obligation to release publicly any revisions
or updates to these forward-looking statements to reflect events,
circumstances, or unanticipated events occurring after the date of
this announcement except as required by law or by any appropriate
regulatory authority.
For further inquiries:
Tiziana Life Sciences LtdPaul Spencer, Business
Development and Investor Relations+44 (0) 207 495
2379email: info@tizianalifesciences.com
[1] https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2220272120
[2] https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2309221120
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