MOU Lends Support to Future Clinical Trial at Dundee

Clinical stage drug development company Evgen Pharma, focused on the treatment of cancer and neurological conditions, has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the University of Dundee to advance SFX-01 towards a clinical trial in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (“NASH”) and liver fibrosis. Evgen has agreed to supply SFX-01 to support a potential future clinical trial led by John Dillon, Professor of Hepatology and Gastrenterology in the University’s School of Medicine.

With the assistance of Evgen, Professor Dillon will lead the process to secure appropriate grant funding and obtain clinical trial regulatory approval. The intention is to utilise advanced MRI scanning technology to investigate whether SFX-01 can reverse the hallmarks of NASH in a proof-of-concept clinical trial. Clinical data arising from a successful trial will support subsequent development, regulatory approval and commercialisation of SFX-01 in NASH and liver fibrosis. Evgen will be granted an option to the clinical data on fair commercial terms to enable it to advance development and commercialisation.

John Dillon, Professor of Hepatology and Gastrenterology at the University of Dundee’s the School of Medicine said: “We are delighted that Evgen will support our plans to undertake a clinical trial on SFX-01 in patients with NASH. Oxidative stress is pivotal to the development of NASH and our research suggests that activation of the Nrf2 pathway, which in turn reduces oxidative stress, can reverse the pathology.”

Dr Stephen Franklin, CEO of Evgen Pharma, commented: “As a result of the successful fundraise in April of this year, we are now in a position to be able to expand the toxicology package for SFX-01 which is a prerequisite to being able to support the trial design proposed by Professor Dillon and colleagues. We are particularly excited by this trial design because of the use of advanced MRI imaging of the liver which will give an objective measure of the extent to which SFX-01 can modulate the pathology of the disease.”