Poolbeg Pharma plc

POLB 001 cancer immunotherapy-induced CRS patent granted in Canada

Further strengthening of Poolbeg's global intellectual property portfolio

11 May 2026 - Poolbeg Pharma (AIM: POLB, 'Poolbeg' or the 'Company'), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company with a core focus on transforming the cancer immunotherapy field, announces that it has received formal notification of the grant for its POLB 001 cancer immunotherapy-induced Cytokine Release Syndrome ("CRS") patent application from the Canadian patent office.

This represents the second national grant within Poolbeg's cancer immunotherapy-induced CRS patent family, following the grant by IP Australia announced in March 2026, and marks a further important milestone for the Company. This patent covers the use of any p38 MAPK inhibitor, including POLB 001, for the prevention of cancer immunotherapy-induced CRS, and is underpinned by proprietary data generated by Poolbeg.

Poolbeg filed its initial oncology patent applications in the UK in January 2023 before entering the international Patent Cooperation Treaty system in January 2024. This new patent grant was accelerated through the Patent Prosecution Highway, which enables expedited examination in participating countries where a favourable ruling has already been secured in another participating jurisdiction.

The Company's IP portfolio now spans both cancer immunotherapy-induced CRS and severe influenza across multiple jurisdictions, and Poolbeg continues to pursue protection in further territories. This grant further strengthens the Company's robust intellectual property portfolio, enhancing POLB 001's future value and appeal to potential partners.

Jeremy Skillington, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of Poolbeg Pharma, said: "This Canadian patent grant, coming shortly after our first oncology patent grant in Australia, further strengthens our IP position for POLB 001 and demonstrates the momentum we have built in expanding this patent family globally. With interim data from the TOPICAL trial expected this summer, we believe this patent grant further enhances the attractiveness of POLB 001 to prospective partners. We will continue to pursue coverage in other jurisdictions and look forward to updating shareholders on our progress."

*TOPICAL: Trial of Prevention of ImmunoCytokine Adverse events in Myeloma. A single-arm, open-label trial investigating POLB 001 as a potential preventative for CRS in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma patients receiving the approved bispecific antibody, teclistamab, provided by Johnson and Johnson at no cost to Poolbeg.

Enquiries

About Poolbeg Pharma plc 

Poolbeg Pharma plc (AIM: POLB) is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company with a core focus on transforming the cancer immunotherapy field. The Company's lead asset, POLB 001, has the potential to expand administration of cancer immunotherapies from centralised specialist cancer centres into community hospitals by making the treatments safer through the prevention of the life-threatening side effect, Cytokine Release Syndrome (CRS). As such, POLB 001 could increase the number of patients that can receive these life-saving treatments, thereby increasing the market opportunity. Poolbeg is also advancing the development of a patient-friendly therapy for obesity with an oral encapsulated GLP-1, offering a differentiated approach within one of the world's largest markets. With multiple near-term clinical value inflection points, and an experienced team with a proven track record, Poolbeg is focussed on partnering its high value programmes that are targeting large markets and addressing critical unmet medical needs. 

Stay updated: Website | Sign up for RNS alerts | Presentation | X | LinkedIn

Forward-Looking Statements

This announcement may contain forward-looking statements and the words "expect", "anticipate", "intends", "plan", "estimate", "aim", "forecast", "project" and similar expressions (or their negative) identify certain of these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this announcement are based on numerous assumptions and Poolbeg's present and future business strategies and the environment in which Poolbeg expects to operate in the future. Forward-looking statements involve inherent known and unknown risks, uncertainties and contingencies because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that may or may not occur in the future and may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance or the ability to identify and consummate investments. Many of these risks and uncertainties relate to factors that are beyond Poolbeg's ability to control or estimate precisely, such as future market conditions, currency fluctuations, the behaviour of other market participants, the outcome of clinical trials, the actions of regulators and other factors such as Poolbeg's ability to obtain financing, changes in the political, social and regulatory framework in which Poolbeg operates or in economic, technological or consumer trends or conditions. Past performance should not be taken as an indication or guarantee of future results, and no representation or warranty, express or implied, is made regarding future performance. No person is under any obligation to update or keep current the information contained in this announcement or to provide the recipient of it with access to any additional relevant information.