TransCode Therapeutics and Debiopharm Announce Collaboration to Develop Targeted Nucleic Acid Therapeutics for Cancer

BOSTON, Jan. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TransCode Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: RNAZ), the RNA oncology company committed to more effectively treating cancer using RNA therapeutics, today announced a co-research agreement with Debiopharm, a privately-owned Swiss-based, global biopharmaceutical company aiming to establish tomorrow’s standard-of-care to cure cancer and infectious diseases. The collaboration will explore combining TransCode’s proprietary TTX delivery platform with Debiopharm’s expertise in targeted drug delivery to co-develop targeted nucleic acid therapeutics for cancer.

TransCode’s TTX platform will serve as a backbone for development of antigen-selective nucleic acid delivery vehicles for targeted cancer therapeutics. TransCode has developed and tested the TTX platform for the delivery of various nucleic acid therapeutics to cancer cells, including small interfering RNAs, antisense oligonucleotides, immunostimulatory oligonucleotides, mRNA, and genome-editing ribonucleoprotein complexes (CRISPR). TransCode’s lead therapeutic candidate, TTX-MC138, designed to use antisense technology to treat metastatic cancer, is being evaluated in an early-stage clinical trial. As part of the collaboration, TransCode will combine its TTX delivery platform with Debiopharm’s proprietary technologies to generate constructs designed to provide targeted mRNA delivery to cancer cells. Under the agreement, these constructs will be tested both in cancer cells and in tumor-bearing animals.

Specializing in the manufacturing and development of oncology and antibiotic therapies, Debiopharm entered this research collaboration to test the development of new targeted nucleic acid delivery modalities. Debiopharm’s ongoing quest towards developing highly innovative drug delivery methods is based on the recognition that novel targeted medicines hold the potential to revolutionize cancer research and treatment by improving precision, efficacy, safety, and the overall therapeutic outcome for cancer patients. The company hopes that future advancements could usher in a new era of more effective and personalized cancer therapies.

Frédéric Lévy, Debiopharm’s Chief Scientific Officer, commented, “We believe that TransCode’s TTX platform has the potential to bring about significant advances in drug delivery for cancer because of its versatility in terms of the payloads it can be used to deliver, including not only a wide array of nucleic acids but also peptides and proteins.”

Zdravka Medarova, TransCode’s Chief Scientific Officer, added, “Debiopharm is a global player in the field of cancer therapeutics, known for the development of standard of care drugs for the treatment of various types of cancer. For TransCode, being able to collaborate with Debiopharm on an innovative project with the potential impact of targeted nucleic acid-based cancer therapeutics, represents a pivotal point for our company.”

Financial terms were not disclosed.

About TransCode Therapeutics

TransCode is a clinical-stage oncology company focused on treating metastatic disease. The company is committed to defeating cancer through the intelligent design and effective delivery of RNA therapeutics based on its proprietary TTX nanoparticle platform. The company’s lead therapeutic candidate, TTX-MC138, is focused on treating metastatic tumors which overexpress microRNA-10b, a unique, well-documented biomarker of metastasis. In addition, TransCode is developing a portfolio of first-in-class RNA therapeutic candidates designed to overcome the challenges of RNA delivery and thus unlock therapeutic access to a variety of novel genetic targets that could be relevant to treating a variety of cancers.

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About Debiopharm

Debiopharm aims to develop innovative therapies that target high unmet medical needs in oncology and bacterial infections. Bridging the gap between disruptive discovery products and real-world patient reach, Debiopharm identifies high-potential compounds and technologies for in licensing, clinically tests their safety and efficacy, and then selects large pharmaceutical commercialization partners to maximize patient access globally.

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Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, without limitation, statements concerning the therapeutic potential of TransCode’s development candidates and its TTX delivery platform generally, either on a stand-alone basis or in combination with the development candidates and technologies of third parties, and statements concerning TransCode’s collaboration agreement with Debiopharm. No assurance can be provided as to the ultimate success of any collaboration agreement, including the collaboration agreement with Debiopharm. Any forward-looking statements in this press release are based on management’s current expectations of future events and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those set forth in or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: the risks associated with drug discovery and development; the risks that results of our clinical trials will not be consistent with our pre-clinical studies or expectations or with preceding clinical trials; risks associated with the timing and outcome of TransCode’s planned regulatory submissions; risks associated with TransCode’s conduct of clinical trials; risks associated with obtaining, maintaining and protecting intellectual property; risks associated with TransCode’s ability to enforce its patents against infringers and defend its patent portfolio against challenges from third parties; risks of competition from other companies developing products for similar uses; risks associated with TransCode’s financial condition and its need to obtain additional funding to support its business activities, including TransCode’s ability to continue as a going concern; risks associated with TransCode’s dependence on third parties; and risks associated with geopolitical events and pandemics, including the COVID-19 coronavirus. For a discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties, and other important factors, any of which could cause TransCode’s actual results to differ from those contained in or implied by the forward-looking statements, see the section entitled “Risk Factors” in TransCode’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, as well as discussions of potential risks, uncertainties and other important factors in any subsequent TransCode filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. All information in this press release is as of the date of the release; TransCode undertakes no duty to update this information unless required by law.

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TransCode Therapeutics, Inc.

Tom Fitzgerald, Interim CEO; CFO