Secarna Pharmaceuticals announces the acquisition of LNAplus^TM based antisense drug candidates by Lipigon Pharmaceuticals

• Secarna and Lipigon jointly generated candidates for cardiovascular and metabolic diseases in a target validation and drug discovery collaboration
• Lipigon will continue the development of acquired antisense drug candidates targeting the ANGPTL gene family

Munich/Martinsried, Germany, March 23, 2020 - Secarna Pharmaceuticals GmbH & Co. KG ("Secarna"), a biopharmaceutical company focusing on the discovery and development of next generation antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) therapies to address challenging or previously undruggable targets via its LNAplus^TM platform, today announced that the Company signed a Research, Development and Transfer Agreement with Lipigon Pharmaceuticals AB ("Lipigon"). Under this agreement, Lipigon acquires certain antisense drug candidates, which were developed with Secarna's proprietary LNAplus^TM platform, including the corresponding patent portfolio. The antisense oligonucleotide candidates targeting the ANGPTL gene family for the treatment of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases were previously generated by Secarna and Lipigon under a target validation and drug discovery collaboration. Going forward, Lipigon will fund and continue the development of the acquired assets and Secarna receives payments customary for such a transaction. Financial details were not disclosed.

Inhibiting the ANGPTL gene family members ANGPTL3 and ANGPTL4 with Secarna's LNAplus^TM based antisense oligonucleotides has shown to positively affect plasma lipid levels. Therefore, safe and effective drug candidates addressing these targets have the potential to become novel treatments of orphan diseases such as Familial Chylomicronaemia Syndrome or Homozygote Familial Hypercholesterolemia, but also more common cardiovascular, metabolic liver, kidney diseases or diseases as dyslipidaemia.

"For the past two years, we have collaborated with our colleagues at Lipigon under a highly productive discovery and research partnership. We are excited that Lipigon has selected therapeutic lead candidates generated from Secarna's LNAplus^TM platform and will now swiftly progress them through the next stages of development", said Jonas Renz, Managing Director and Co-founder of Secarna Pharmaceuticals.

"Antisense-based therapeutics have gained strong industry interest over the past five to seven years as evidenced by major licensing and acquisitions transactions. We are very pleased that our successful collaboration with Secarna has generated fully optimized, patented LNAplus^TM antisense drug candidates ready to enter late stage pre-clinical development and GMP manufacturing," said Stefan K. Nilsson, CEO and Co-founder of Lipigon.

About Secarna's proprietary drug discovery platform, LNAplus^TM

Secarna's proprietary third-generation antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) platform, LNAplus^TM, which encompasses all aspects of drug discovery and pre-clinical development, enables the company to discover novel antisense-based therapies for challenging or currently undruggable targets.^{Secarna's platform and ASOs have previously been validated by numerous in-house projects as well as in several academic and industry collaborations. With over 15 development programs focusing on targets in indications such as immuno-oncology, immunology, ophthalmology, as well as viral-, neurodegenerative- and cardiometabolic diseases, where antisense-based approaches have clear benefits compared to other therapeutic modalities, Secarna is the leading independent European antisense drug discovery and development company.}

About Secarna Pharmaceuticals GmbH & Co. KG

Secarna Pharmaceuticals is the next generation antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) company with multiple innovative antisense therapies in various stages of pre-clinical development in the areas of immuno-oncology, immunology, ophthalmology, as well as viral-, neurodegenerative- and cardiometabolic diseases. Secarna's mission is to maximize the performance and output of its proprietary ^TM antisense oligonucleotide discovery platform, as well as to develop highly specific, safe, and efficacious best-in-class antisense therapies for challenging or currently not druggable targets.

About Lipigon Pharmaceuticals

Lipigon are lipid biology experts focusing on developing novel therapeutics for patients with lipid- related disorders. The company is a spin-off from Umeå University, Sweden, based on five decades of lipid research. Our primary focus is orphan lipid disorders and in addition to the ANGPTL antisense program, Lipigon's pipeline, including a project for gene therapy treatment of lipodystrophy. This program is partnered with Combigene AB (publ). .

Contact

Jonas Renz
Managing Director and Co-founder

Secarna Pharmaceuticals GmbH & Co. KG
Am Klopferspitz 19
82152 Planegg/Martinsried
Tel.: +49 (0)89 215 46 375

For media enquiries:

Anne Hennecke
MC Services AG

Tel.: +49 (0)211.52 92 52 22