As partner in the INAT consortium Secarna Pharmaceuticals receives Horizon 2020 grant to develop inhaled nanocarriers with antisense therapy as a novel therapeutic approach for lung fibrosis

Munich/Martinsried, Germany, October 10, 2018 - Secarna Pharmaceuticals ("Secarna"), a new breed biopharmaceutical company focusing on the discovery and development of antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) therapies to address challenging or previously undruggable targets in a number of organ systems, announced today that the Company will receive an EU grant under the ERA-Net Co-fund scheme of the Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Framework Programme for multidisciplinary and translational research and innovation projects (EuroNanoMed III). The duration of the grant is expected to be three years.

The grant will fund the INAT project (Inhaled Nanocarriers with Antisense Therapy for lung fibrosis) which aims to develop a novel nanomedicine for the treatment of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF), a rare, incurable chronic lung disease affecting approximately 5 million patients worldwide. The novel nanomedicine is administered locally and non-invasively via aerosols into the lungs and inhibits a newly discovered gene associated with the disease.

The INAT consortium synergistically combines the efforts of three academic labs with complimentary expertise in aerosol medicine and two platform technology partners. The innovative, biodegradable and highly effective nanoparticle carrier of one partner combined with an oligonucleotide produced by Secarna Pharmaceuticals will target a specific profibrosis mediator. The resulting nanomedicine will ultimately be formulated for inhalation in humans and its toxicity and efficacy tested preclinically by three out of the five consortium members.

"We are proud to receive funding for INAT under Horizon 2020 to develop inhaled nanocarriers loaded with our antisense oligonucleotides as a novel nanomedicine for lung fibrosis, a chronic and incurable disease with an average survival time of only two to five years", said Jonas Renz, Managing Director and Co-founder of Secarna. This grant showcases the attractiveness of Secarna's LNAplus^TM platform and broad therapeutic applicability. Together with our partners we are looking forward to collaborating on this highly promising approach for IPF."

The drug candidates could also be effective for fibrotic diseases of other organs such as liver or kidney.

About EuroNanoMed III

EuroNanoMed is a platform for funding agencies and ministries established since 2008. National and Regional research funding programmes join together with the goal of creating and funding collaborative research and innovation projects that can convert research in nanotechnology into practical gains in medicine.

EuroNanoMed supports multidisciplinary and translational research and innovation projects that cover: Regenerative medicine, Diagnostics and Targeted delivery systems.

EuroNanoMed III (2016-2021) is the new ERA-Net Cofund Action on Nanomedicine under Horizon 2020 that will build upon the achievements on its predecessors to support the European Nanomedicine research community.

About Horizon 2020

Horizon 2020 is the biggest EU Research and Innovation programme ever with nearly EUR 80 billion of funding available over 7 years (2014 to 2020). It represents a flagship initiative aimed at securing global competitiveness, economic growth and job creation in Europe through the promotion of innovation and research.

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 immunooncology, ophthalmology, immunology, fibrotic diseases (airways, liver, kidney), and anti-viral applications. Secarna's mission is to maximize the performance and output of its proprietary LNAplus^TM antisense oligonucleotide discovery platform, to develop highly specific, safe, and efficacious antisense therapies for challenging or currently not druggable targets.

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


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