HASSELT, Belgium and CHEPSTOW, Wales, February 21, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

ATX-MS-1467 Reduced the Number and Volume of Brain Lesions With a Very Promising Safety Profile 

Apitope, the drug discovery and development company focused on treating the underlying cause of autoimmune diseases, announces positive results from the Phase IIa clinical study of its lead product candidate, ATX-MS-1467, for the treatment of patients with multiple sclerosis.

The Phase IIa, open-label, one arm study evaluated the effects of ATX-MS-1467 in 19 patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis. The investigational product was administered intradermally (ID) every 2 weeks for 20 weeks. Following a dose titration of 50 and 200 μg in the initial 4 weeks of treatment a dose of 800μg was administered fortnightly for a further of 16 weeks.

There were statistically significant reductions in total and new T1 Gadolinium enhancing lesions measured using MRI during treatment as well as a significant reduction in the volume of T1 Gadolinium enhancing lesions. The data also showed a strong trend towards improvement in the Multiple Sclerosis Functional Composite (MSFC) score that is used clinically as an indicator of improvement in disability. There were no treatment related serious adverse events and the adverse event profile was mild.

Dr Keith Martin, Chief Executive Officer of Apitope, commented, "We are delighted with these positive results that confirm both clinical findings in our Phase Ib trial as well as preclinical results showing significant decreases in MRI detected lesions and disability in a standard multiple sclerosis model. We will continue to progress the development of ATX-MS-1467 as a treatment for multiple sclerosis and are currently preparing for a Phase IIb placebo controlled study to demonstrate clinical efficacy."

Dr Jeremy Chataway, Consultant Neurologist, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London, commenting on the results said, "Having been the Chief Investigator on the previous Phase Ib study, it is pleasing to see these promising confirmatory Phase IIa results where ATX-MS-1467 has shown both an encouraging efficacy and an excellent safety and tolerability profile. While these patients were only treated for 20 weeks, results in a Phase IIb study with a longer treatment period will be interesting."

The compound had previously completed a Phase I clinical study in six patients with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) and a second Phase I study in 43 relapsing multiple sclerosis patients, assessing safety and biological parameters. The latest results support the further development of ATX-MS-1467 in multiple sclerosis.

About Apitope  

Apitope is a European biotech company focused on the discovery and development of disease modifying therapies for abnormal immune responses, including autoimmune diseases such as, multiple sclerosis, Graves' disease, and uveitis; and Factor VIII intolerance.

Apitope has a patented discovery platform which enables selection of disease-modifying peptide therapies for the target of interest; and has already generated a pipeline of seven programmes in clinical and preclinical development, of which the lead programme in multiple sclerosis is in Phase II. The discovery engine selects Apitopes™ - Antigen Processing Independent epiTOPES. Apitopes are soluble, synthetic peptides from the human sequence which can selectively suppress abnormal immune responses and reinstate the normal immune balance. Stakeholders in the company include Wales Life Sciences Fund, Vesalius Biocapital, LRM, the Wellcome Trust and the US MS charity, Fast Forward.

About ATX-MS-1467 

Apitope's lead product candidate is ATX-MS-1467, a potentially disease-modifying therapy for the treatment of multiple sclerosis, is a novel peptide-based therapeutic identified using Apitope's proprietary technology platform.

It consists of four short peptides that are derived from myelin basic protein, a key autoantigen in multiple sclerosis. It is designed to induce immunological tolerance of the body's T cells to key autoantigens thought to be involved in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis.

For more information on the Company, please visit: www.apitope.com

For further information:
Apitope
Dr Keith Martin, CEO
Tel: +44-(0)-1291-63-55-11
keith.martin@apitope.com

For media enquiries:
Hume Brophy
Conor Griffin, Alexia Faure, Alexander Protsenko
Tel: +44-(0)-20-7862-6381
apitope@humebrophy.com

SOURCE Apitope