New collaboration between Antisense Therapeutics and MCRI

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Antisense Therapeutics (ASX:ANP) has announced a new R&D collaboration with researchers at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute’s (MCRI) to further investigate the potential of its ATL1102.

The researchers, Dr Peter Houweling and Associate Professor Shireen Lamande, will investigate the potential of ATL1102 to deliver treatment for the control of immune-mediated inflammatory muscle damage in muscle diseases.

The company said ATL1102 has been shown to be clinically active in Multiple Sclerosis and Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) patients while antisense inhibition of CD49d has also previously demonstrated activity in multiple disease animal models.

"The MCRI researchers and ANP have additionally undertaken experimental work that showed antisense inhibition of CD49d in the X chromosome-linked muscular dystrophy (mdx) mouse model of DMD reduces both the CD49d target in the muscle and muscle damage. This data is expected to be submitted for publication in 2021," said the company.

"Having achieved positive results in the mdx animal model now allows for the further study of antisense inhibition of CD49d effects in the mdx model in combination with other DMD treatments including the dystrophin restoration drugs to assess the potential of the combination to improve therapeutic outcomes. This work is to be conducted in the 2nd half of 2021 and is funded through ANP’s existing cash reserves."

Dr Peter Houweling of the MCRI said, ”We are pleased to be continuing our active research relationship with Antisense Therapeutics and expanding our collaborative efforts beyond the initial success in DMD to be developing new breakthrough approaches to treat a variety of devastating muscle diseases where there are few effective treatments.”

Dr George Tachas, the director of drug discovery and patents at Antisense Therapeutics, said, “This collaboration is looking to build on ATL1102’s established research and clinical success to date to potentially broaden both ATL1102’s clinical utility in DMD and its application into other disease indications that fit with the Company’s expertise and focus in immune mediated inflammatory disease and in the process broaden our development pipeline to build additional and substantial shareholder value.”