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 positive results demonstrating the
anti-inflammatory potential of our anti-CD3 antibody (foralumab) in
combination with semaglutide, a GLP-1 agonist marketed by Novo
Nordisk (NYSE: NVO) under the brand names Ozempic and Wegovy. The
data show that the combination of nasal anti-CD3 plus semaglutide
improves liver homeostasis and reduces inflammation in models of
diet-induced obesity (DIO), providing a potential novel approach to
combat obesity-related inflammation, and liver inflammation and
dysfunction.
Key Highlights:
- Nasal anti-CD3 in combination with semaglutide demonstrates
synergistic effects in promoting liver homeostasis in preclinical
models of diet-induced obesity.
- The combination significantly reduces inflammation markers, a
key factor in obesity-related metabolic disorders.
Figure 1: Nasal anti-CD3 with Low and High Dose semaglutide
promote Liver Homeostasis in DIO
PBS= Placebo, HFD= High Fat Diet, LD= Low Dose, HD= High Dose,
Sema= Semaglutide, aCD3= Study Version of Foralumab
In Figure 1, the far-right column shows the explanted liver and
histology of that liver at two magnifications for a mouse fed a
low-fat chow “normal” diet (“lean mouse”). The dark and smaller
liver on the right is a typical healthy liver from a lean mouse.
All the mice under the gray bar in the figure were fed a high fat
chow (“HFD”) resulting in diet-induced obesity. As the columns
outlined by red boxes demonstrate, administration of the
combination of nasal anti-CD3 and semaglutide had livers that
looked more like the liver from the lean mouse. The HFD mice given
low dose or high dose semaglutide alone had enlarged fatty livers
that were more similar to the HFD control.
In humans, nasal foralumab modulates immune responses by
inducing regulatory-type T cells. Semaglutide is an effective
therapy for obesity and Type 2 diabetes, known for its role in
enhancing insulin sensitivity and reducing body weight.
This study, conducted by Dr. Howard Weiner and Selma Boulenouar
PhD, and a research team at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston,
Massachusetts, demonstrates that nasal anti-CD3 in combination with
Semaglutide, helps restore liver homeostasis in diet-induced
obesity models where liver dysfunction and inflammation are
prominent. The combination therapy led to marked reductions in
pro-inflammatory cytokines and significant improvements in liver
markers associated with metabolic regulation. This suggests a dual
benefit in both managing obesity and preventing its associated
inflammation-related complications.
"We are excited by the potential of this novel combination.
Nasal foralumab’s ability to modulate immune response in humans has
always been promising. Now, combining anti-CD3 with semaglutide
resulted in additional benefit on liver homeostasis and reduced
inflammation in this mouse model. This could pave the way for an
entirely new approach in treating obesity-related metabolic
disorders," said Dr. Howard L. Weiner, 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.
Selma Boulenouar PhD, a leading researcher at Brigham and
Women's Hospital, who co-led the study, commented: "The results of
this study are very encouraging. Chronic inflammation is a hallmark
of obesity and liver diseases. The combination of anti-CD3 with
Semaglutide appears to mitigate this inflammatory response and
restore normal liver function. These findings underscore the
potential for combination therapies in addressing complex metabolic
and inflammatory conditions."
Obesity is a growing global health concern, with associated
metabolic disorders including insulin resistance, NAFLD, and
chronic inflammation contributing to increased morbidity and
healthcare costs. The combination of nasal Foralumab for modulating
the immune system and semaglutide for weight management offers a
novel therapeutic combination that addresses both the metabolic and
inflammatory aspects of obesity.
Ivor Elrifi, CEO of Tiziana Life Sciences, commented, "We are
excited by these findings, which demonstrate nasal Foralumab’s
potential to significantly enhance the therapeutic effects of
semaglutide. This combination may present a breakthrough approach
to treating not only obesity but also the downstream metabolic
complications that are often hard to manage with current therapies.
We would like to thank Howard and Selma and the BWH team for their
thorough study that has taken many months to complete. We look
forward to the full publication of these findings in a
peer-reviewed journal."
Tiziana plans to advance these promising preclinical findings
into further clinical development, with the goal of initiating
in-human clinical trials in the future. This effort is aligned with
the Company’s commitment to pioneering innovative solutions for
inflammatory and metabolic diseases, leveraging the
immunomodulatory properties of Foralumab.
The study at Brigham and Women’s Hospital is part of Tiziana's
broader development program for Foralumab, which includes other
inflammatory and autoimmune indications. The Company remains
dedicated to advancing scientific innovations to address unmet
medical needs across diverse therapeutic areas.
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
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b407c72c-eb35-4624-a292-a44b5f4af403
Tiziana Life Sciences (NASDAQ:TLSA)
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