Evgen Pharma plc

 ("Evgen" or the "Company")

Peer reviewed publication of data on SFX-01 in glioblastoma

Substantial pre-clinical data set generated by collaborators at the University of Aquila and other Italian centres.

Evgen Pharma plc (AIM: EVG), a clinical stage drug development company developing sulforaphane based medicines for the treatment of multiple diseases, notes the publication of data in preclinical models of glioblastoma (GBM) generated by Dr Claudio Festuccia and colleagues at the Universities of Aquila, Rome and Rieti, Italy (Colapietro et al, Pharmaceuticals, 2021, 14, 1082).

GBM, also known as glioblastoma multiforme, is an aggressive type of cancer (a type of malignant glioma) that can occur in the brain or spinal cord. GBM is very difficult to treat, and a cure is most often not possible; treatments generally slow progression of the cancer and reduce signs and symptoms. The average survival time is 12-18 months, with only 25% of glioblastoma patients surviving more than one year, and only 5% of patients surviving more than five years.

The in vitro data, in GBM cells and patient-derived glioma-initiating cells, show anti-tumour activity of the Company's lead asset SFX-01. The work goes on to show in vivo anti-tumour activity in both sub-cutaneous and orthotopic xenograft (tumour cell lines are implanted in the brain) models of GBM. In both models, SFX-01 reduced tumour growth substantially and demonstrated statistically significant improved survival. The in vitro work was complemented by a recent pre-print publication from a different laboratory, the University of Auckland, New Zealand, in patient derived cells and 3D spheroid models of GBM (Leung et al 2021).

Evgen recently announced the grant of Orphan Drug Designation in the USA for Malignant Glioma, affording the programme additional data protection and other incentives.

Dr Huw Jones, CEO of Evgen, commented: "We are very pleased to see the publication of this important work by Dr Festuccia and colleagues. The data generated underpin our decision to focus on glioblastoma as one of our core programmes. Our design work on a Phase 2 study in glioblastoma patients is well advanced and we are discussing the design with a number of prominent UK and European clinical centres. In due course we hope to contribute a new treatment option for patients with this devastating disease."  

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About Evgen Pharma plc

Evgen Pharma is a clinical stage drug development company developing sulforaphane based medicines for the treatment of multiple diseases. The Company's core technology is Sulforadex®, a method for synthesising and stabilising the naturally occurring compound sulforaphane and novel proprietary analogues based on sulforaphane. The lead product, SFX-01, is a patented composition of synthetic sulforaphane and alpha-cyclodextrin.

Clinical data from the Company's open-label Phase II STEM trial has shown that SFX-01 can halt the growth of progressing tumours in patients with oestrogen-positive (ER+) metastatic breast cancer, and in some cases significantly shrink the tumour, whilst causing very few side effects.

The has its headquarters at Alderley Park, Cheshire, and its registered office is at the Liverpool Science Park, Liverpool.  It is listed on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange and trades under the ticker symbol EVG.  

For further information, please visit: www.evgen.com

For research on the Company, please visit: http://evgen.com/investors/analyst-coverage/