PRESS RELEASE
12 March 2018
Saniona, a leading biotech company in the field of ion channels, today announced that its collaboration partner, Cadent Therapeutics, has initiated Phase 1 trial for CAD-1883 for the treatment of spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA) and essential tremor.
"We are very pleased that Cadent Therapeutics has initiated a Phase 1 study for CAD-1883, which has a significant market potential in neurological movement disorders. Sourced from our ion channel research platform, CAD-1883 is the first program from our research portfolio to enter clinical development. We believe that this research platform provides potential long-term value creation in the company as these programs enter clinical development. We now have four programs in clinical development, with the most advanced program for obesity in Phase 3," commented Jørgen Drejer, CEO of Saniona.
CAD-1883 was discovered in a joint research program between Saniona and Cadent Therapeutics. For patients with spinocerebellar ataxia and essential tremor, the firing pattern of neurons in the cerebellum have become dysregulated, resulting in the loss of motor control that impacts mobility and fine motor function. By changing the calcium sensitivity of small conductance calcium-activated potassium channels (SK), CAD-1883 causes potassium current to flow at lower calcium concentrations, potentially restoring neuronal firing regularity and improving motor function.
Palle Christophersen, CSO of Saniona added, "Our research team has been an innovator in discovering the role of dysregulated neuronal firing in movement disorders such as ataxia, a highly invalidating disease. We have pioneered the concept for potential new therapies within movement disorders through selective activation of SK ion channels. CAD-1883 is the first selective SK ion channel modulator to be tested in humans. It has the potential to reduce disability and restore motor function in patients with spinocerebellar ataxia and essential tremor."
Saniona is a shareholder of Cadent Therapeutics and holds the right to royalties on CAD-1883.
For more information, please contact
Thomas Feldthus, EVP and CFO, Saniona, Mobile: +45 2210 9957, E-mail: tf@saniona.com
This information is information that Saniona (publ) is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation and Sweden's Securities Market Act. The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact person set out above, at 13:15 CET on March 12, 2018.
About Saniona
Saniona is a research and development company focused on drugs for diseases of the central nervous system, autoimmune diseases, metabolic diseases and treatment of pain. The company has a significant portfolio of potential drug candidates at pre-clinical and clinical stage. The research is focused on ion channels, which makes up a unique protein class that enables and controls the passage of charged ions across cell membranes. Saniona has ongoing collaboration agreements with Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH, BenevolentAI, Productos Medix, S.A de S.V and Cadent Therapeutics. Saniona is based in Copenhagen, Denmark, where it has a research center of high international standard. Saniona is listed at Nasdaq Stockholm Small Cap and has about 5,300 shareholders. The company's share is traded under the ticker SANION. Read more at www.saniona.com.
About Cadent Therapeutics
Cadent Therapeutics is a precision neuroscience company developing novel medicines that tune and modulate brain rhythms to restore motor and cognitive function in patients with serious neurological disease. The company leverages its unique precision neuroscience approach combining target specificity, patient selection, drug design and optimization, and novel quantitative endpoints to create first-in-class molecules to treat movement and cognitive disorders. Currently in early clinical development, Cadent Therapeutics is rapidly advancing its pipeline of therapies to treat spinocerebellar ataxia, essential tremor and schizophrenia. Investors include Atlas Venture, Clal Biotechnology Industries, Slater Technology Fund and Novartis. For more information, please visit cadenttx.com.
