TIDMPOLB
RNS Number : 6391C
Poolbeg Pharma PLC
24 February 2022
Poolbeg Pharma plc
Artificial Intelligence deal signed with OneThree Biotech
New treatments for infectious disease to be identified through
analysis of human challenge trial data
24 February 2022 - Poolbeg Pharma (AIM: POLB, 'Poolbeg' or the
'Company') a clinical stage infectious disease pharmaceutical
company with a capital light clinical model, has signed an
agreement with OneThree Biotech, Inc . a biology-driven artificial
intelligence ('AI') company, to identify new drug targets and
treatments for Respiratory Syncytial Virus ('RSV').
Under the terms of the transaction and as aligned with Poolbeg's
strategy, OneThree Biotech's state-of-the-art AI analysis tools
will identify drug assets which target immune-response pathways,
have a higher probability of clinical success and have the
potential to prevent and / or treat infectious diseases. The
analysis will prioritise drugs with existing Phase I safety data,
reducing spend and risk, which can feed into Poolbeg's rapid,
capital light clinical development strategy and its expanding
pipeline of assets. The analysis is expected to commence in Q1 2022
with preliminary outputs from this work expected in H2 2022.
OneThree Biotech is a clinically validated AI company with a
proven technology platform which integrates chemical, biological,
and clinical data with cutting-edge computational tools to answer
complex questions surrounding disease biology and drug discovery.
The team at OneThree will work closely with Poolbeg's scientific
team to build a tailored AI analysis model which can leverage the
unique insights of human challenge trial data to identify
disease-relevant cell signalling pathways which could lead to novel
drug targets. OneThree will receive milestone payments based on
candidate development and royalties on the sale of products derived
from this partnership.
The Company believe that this partnership with OneThree Biotech
is the first time that AI analysis has been undertaken on RSV human
challenge trial data and samples to identify new drug targets. The
unique nature of human challenge trials to produce disease
progression data with high precision is expected to revolutionise
the insights generated from this analysis. Poolbeg's lead asset
POLB 001, which is progressing towards its first human challenge
trial in June 2022, was identified using such disease progression
data. However, by utilising AI the Company aims to identify more
targets, quicker and more cost efficiently than previously possible
without this technology.
Poolbeg entered a partnership with Eurofins Genomics in October
2021 to complete RNA sequencing of Poolbeg's RSV disease
progression samples from human challenge trials. This work was a
key step in Poolbeg advancing its AI analysis programme. This RSV
discovery dataset has been specifically designed for incorporation
into OneThree's AI platform. The data sets within this project will
leverage up to 140Gb of biological data per subject spread over
baseline healthy measurements and the course of infection which is
expected to unveil unprecedented insights.
RSV is a contagious virus that affects the respiratory tract of
children and at-risk older adults; in severe cases, it can cause
pneumonia and other life-threatening breathing difficulties. RSV is
a significant public health threat affecting an estimated
50-million people annually, leading to 4 million global
hospitalisations and up to 74,500 in-hospital deaths in children
under the age of 5 years. An estimated 45% of these cases and
deaths occur in new-born infants under the age of 6 months.
Jeremy Skillington, PhD, CEO of Poolbeg Pharma, said:
"OneThree Biotech's AI analysis tools will allow us to break new
ground in data-driven drug discovery, by allowing us to evaluate
and interrogate human challenge trial data like never before. This
is a key part of our growth strategy, as we'll be able to identify
and develop drugs in a more time and cost effective manner,
compared with the traditional biotech model. It will enable us to
identify potential new treatments which have a higher probability
of clinical success and which can feed into our rapidly expanding
pipeline in-line with our capital light model.
This will be the first time that AI tools will be used to
analyse RSV human challenge trial disease progression data, which
illustrates the significance of this deal as well as Poolbeg's
innovative model. We look forward to updating the market on the
outputs from this cutting-edge AI analysis in due course."
Neel S. Madhukar, PhD, co-founder and CEO of OneThree Biotech ,
said:
"At OneThree our mission has always been to unlock new
therapeutic opportunities by understanding biology on a deeper
level. The ability to combine our AI platform with the data and
expertise from Poolbeg Pharma will enable just that, and create an
opportunity to make meaningful progress in the treatment of
infectious diseases."
Brad Pryde, co-founder and COO of OneThree Biotech ,
concluded:
"We have been impressed with Poolbeg Pharma's clear dedication
towards using technology and data to create efficiencies in drug
discovery and development. We're excited to demonstrate the
strength of this partnership as future developments arise."
Footnote: During a human challenge study, a number of healthy
volunteers are exposed to an infectious agent in a safe and
controlled quarantine setting to assess the efficacy of vaccines or
treatments. Human challenge trial data is unique in the depth of
longitudinal virology, health, biomarker and symptom data collected
during the course of disease from pre-infection, onset, progression
and resolution of an infection .
- Ends -
Enquiries
Poolbeg Pharma Plc
Jeremy Skillington, CEO
Ian O'Connell, CFO +44 207 183 1499
finnCap Ltd (Nominated Adviser & Joint
Broker)
Geoff Nash, James Thompson, Charlie
Beeson,
Richard Chambers , Sunila de Silva (ECM) +44 (0) 20 7220 0500
-------------------------
Arden Partners PLC (Joint Broker)
John Lewellyn-Lloyd, Louisa Waddell +44 (0) 207 614 5900
-------------------------
J&E Davy (Joint Broker)
Anthony Farrell, Niall Gilchrist +353 (0) 1 679 6363
-------------------------
Instinctif Partners +44 (0) 20 7457 2020
Melanie Toyne Sewell, Rozi Morris, Tim poolbeg@instinctif.com
Field
-------------------------
Little Dog Communications for OneThree +1 (858) 344-8091
Jessica Yingling, Ph.D. jessica@litldog.com
-------------------------
About Poolbeg Pharma
Poolbeg Pharma (AIM:POLB) is a clinical stage infectious disease
pharmaceutical company with a capital light clinical model which is
developing multiple products faster and more cost effectively than
the conventional biotech model. The Company, headquartered in
London, is led by a team with a track record of creation and
delivery of shareholder value and aspires to become a "one-stop
shop" for Big Pharma seeking mid-stage products to licence or
acquire.
The Company is targeting the growing infectious disease market
which has become one of the fastest growing pharma markets and is
expected to exceed $250bn by 2025.
Poolbeg has access to extensive knowledge, experience, and
clinical data from over 20 years of human challenge trials through
Open Orphan plc , an industry leading infectious disease and human
challenge trials business. The Company is using these insights to
acquire new assets as well as reposition clinical stage products,
reducing spend and risk.
The Company continues to rapidly expand its portfolio of assets
which currently includes POLB 001, a small molecule immunomodulator
for severe influenza. POLB 002, a first-in-class, intranasally
administered RNA-based immunotherapy for respiratory virus
infections and POLB 003, an intramuscular Melioidosis vaccine. The
Company is also developing an oral vaccine delivery platform as
well as progressing its AI powered drug discovery program to
identify drug targets and treatments using its disease progression
data.
For more information, visit www.PoolbegPharma.com or follow us
@PoolbegPharma
About OneThree Biotech:
OneThree Biotech is a private, clinically validated,
biology-driven artificial intelligence (AI) company focused on
using its proprietary AI platform in combination with systems
biology to understand the mechanisms that drive drug-target-disease
relationships. OneThree Biotech's proven technology platform
integrates chemical, biological, and clinical data with
cutting-edge computational tools to answer complex questions
surrounding disease biology and drug discovery. The company's AI
platform has shown success in identifying new targets for the
treatment of various cancers and optimizing early-stage drug
discovery and development by quickly and accurately generating new,
testable insights and hypotheses. The OneThree platform has been
validated across early-stage drug discovery through multiple
partnerships, clinical trials, and more than 15 peer-reviewed
publications. OneThree Biotech is based in New York City.
For more information, please go to www.onethree.bio
Twitter: @onethreebiotech
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