University of Manchester collaboration discovery

Evgen Pharma plc

 ("Evgen Pharma" or the "Company")

University of Manchester collaboration discovery

Gene signature identified which may determine response to SFX-01 in ER+ breast cancer treatment

Evgen closer to predicting which patients are most likely to benefit from breast cancer drug

Evgen Pharma plc (AIM: EVG), the clinical stage drug development company developing sulforaphane based medicines for the treatment of multiple diseases, announces that its long-standing collaboration with the University of Manchester has led to the discovery of a gene signature that may predict patient response to SFX-01 in advanced oestrogen receptor positive (''ER+'') breast cancer.

Evgen and the University of Manchester have previously shown that SFX-01 inhibits activity of STAT3; a transcription factor known to play a role in therapy resistance, and in the spread of the cancer around the body. In this latest study, in hormone therapy resistant patient tumours, SFX-01 was shown to inhibit expression of key STAT3-regulated genes. This discovery yields further insight into the mechanism of action of SFX-01 and moves the Company closer to determining which patients are most likely to respond favourably to treatment.

All the preclinical data accrued over the last eight years of this research collaboration is to be published later this year and the manuscript is now in open access and can be viewed at:

https://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2020.02.03.932194v1

This follows a short preview of some of the data that was presented by poster at last week's UK Interdisciplinary Breast Cancer Symposium in Birmingham, UK. 

Evgen Pharma has previously announced positive results from the STEM trial of SFX-01 in metastatic breast cancer.  Patients who responded favourably to SFX-01 were able to access it post trial and we can now report that one patient had their progressive disease halted for a total of 597 days; an impressive duration in a very difficult to treat and terminally ill patient population.

Steve Franklin, CEO of Evgen Pharma, said: "This latest data from an eight-year collaboration with Manchester University, and the forthcoming publication, are very positive developments for both the design of future clinical trials and for supporting business development activity with potential partners. The University of Manchester have been tremendous collaborators and we would like to thank them for their continued commitment and enthusiasm. 

"We continue to focus on our technical and commercial programmes in-line with the Interim Statement, and remain confident of the intrinsic value of SFX-01's therapeutic application in breast cancer and other disease areas. We remain committed to building shareholder value as we pursue our clinical programme in breast cancer and potentially in other diseases via clinical trials sponsored by academic and clinical centres of excellence."

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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 Company commenced operations in January 2008 and has its headquarters at The Colony, Wilmslow, Cheshire, and its registered office is at the Liverpool Science Park, Liverpool.  It joined the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange in October 2015 and trades under the ticker symbol EVG.  

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