MetrioPharm Investor Relations News QIV 2023
Holiday Greetings from CEO Thomas Christély
Dear shareholders,
We hope that overall, you can look back on a good year. It was an important and successful time for MetrioPharm. Following the good top-line data from our Covid-19 trial in 2022, we were able to provide further significant evidence of efficacy in the detailed analysis of all data. Our molecule MP1032 has led to excellent results as a very safe and effective therapeutic agent. Even though Covid-19 is currently no longer classified as a pandemic threat, many countries are increasingly looking for a broadly applicable drug with a host-directed mechanism of action that is effective against all virus variants in preparation for the next pandemic ("pandemic preparedness"). In preclinical studies, MP1032 has shown a dose-dependent effect against all tested virus variants in both Covid-19 and influenza viruses due to its host-directed mechanism of action. We will continue to develop this potential with the help of public funding.
However, the focus of our development work remains on rare diseases and here primarily on Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), as we see this as a fast and cost-effective way to bring MP1032 in combination with an ultra-low dose of corticosteroids to preliminary market approval by the EMA or accelerated market approval by the FDA. Preparations for clinical development in this segment are proceeding as planned. With the granting of Orphan Drug Designation and, shortly afterwards, Rare Pediatric Disease Designation for DMD by the US FDA, we were able to reach two important milestones in 2023. Both milestones include some significant regulatory and commercial benefits as well as the confirmation that the FDA has also found our results to date with MP1032 in DMD to be convincing and robust (see the two press releases).
We are currently discussing the protocol of a Phase IIa trial planned for 2024 with leading clinical opinion leaders and our advisors. We are convinced that the benefits are predominant, namely:
- a high medical need for a more effective standard anti-inflammatory therapy with significantly fewer or potentially no side effects (DMD patients take cortisone as standard anti-inflammatory therapy for about 20-30 years!),
- a high level of awareness and interest in DMD from the big pharmaceutical companies and
- strong support from the American "PPMD" (Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy), the British "Duchenne UK" and other DMD patient advocacy groups.
Following accelerated approval of MP1032 to replace the current high-dose cortisone therapy for DMD patients, collaboration and license agreements with pharmaceutical partners should be possible for other indications with large patient populations (multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, inflammatory bowel disease, etc.) where cortisone is used as a standard anti-inflammatory therapy.
Finally, we would also like to mention this year's successful financing round and thank you for the trust you have placed in us. Despite a very difficult funding environment, we were able to raise more than CHF 18 million from new and existing shareholders at a substantial pre-money valuation of approximately CHF 128 million. With these funds, we will continue to develop MP1032 towards market approval. We are looking forward to this exciting time.
For now, we wish you and your families a restful holiday season and a healthy and successful 2024.
With best regards
Thomas Christély and the MetrioPharm team
MetrioPharm AG Company Calendar in H1 2024
- 6th _ 7th January: Longwood Healthcare Leaders Conference at JPMorgan Healthcare Conference, San Francisco, USA
- 8th _ 10th January: Biotech Showcase at JPMorgan Healthcare Conference, San Francisco, USA
- 26th - 27th February: BIO CEO & Investor Conference, New York, USA
- 1st _ 2nd March: Sachs Annual European Life Sciences CEO Forum, Zurich, Switzerland
- 18th _ 20th March: Bio-Europe Spring, Barcelona, Spain
- 22nd _ 23rd April: Swiss Biotech Day, Basel, Switzerland
- 12th _ 14th May: BioEquity Europe, San Sebastian, Spain
- 3rd _ 6th June: BIO International Convention, San Diego, USA
MetrioPharm AG informs
- In addition to the quarterly newsletter, we also keep you informed about current events in the company with press releases. The press releases can also be found on our website here. If you have not yet been added to our distribution list for press releases, please send us an e-mail at invest@metriopharm.com and we will add you to the distribution list as soon as possible.
- You can also network with MetrioPharm via LinkedIn. We use our LinkedIn profile to inform shareholders, experts and business partners about the latest company developments. Please feel free to include us in your LinkedIn community by invitation.
Your contact:
MetrioPharm
Investor Relations
T +41 44 552 7190
E invest@metriopharm.com
W www.metriopharm.com
Please note: This is a translated version. Only the German version is legally binding.
