Last checked at 18 Dec 2023 07:00
18 December 2023
N4 Pharma plc
("N4 Pharma" or the "Company")
Oral Delivery Update
N4 Pharma Plc (AIM: N4P), the specialist pharmaceutical company developing Nuvec®, a novel delivery system for cancer treatments and vaccines, is pleased to provide a positive update on its ongoing oral delivery research work.
The Company through its research program with the University of Queensland is evaluating the potential of Nuvec® to act as an oral delivery system for oligonucleotides including DNA and RNA.
Experiments have now confirmed, in vivo, the successful oral administration of Nuvec® loaded with a DNA plasmid for ovalbumin. The Nuvec® was administered by enteric coated capsule and the contents, having been released in the intestinal lumen, were taken up by intestinal cells, with successful transfection and release of the newly synthesized ovalbumin.
Specifically, the first experiment was a repeat of a study conducted earlier this year whereby an enterically coated capsule containing Nuvec® loaded with a DNA plasmid for ovalbumin was administered and protein expression was observed after 3 days. In this recent experiment, an additional second capsule was administered on day 3 which resulted in a much higher peak level of expression on days 4-7.
Nigel Theobald, Chief Executive Officer of the Company, commented:
"This continued success shows that Nuvec® has the potential to be successfully used as an oral delivery system with many potential applications such as a vaccine, a product for Irritable Bowel Disease or to treat colonic cancer among many possible examples. Given the complexities involved in oral delivery this early success with Nuvec® represents a potentially massive opportunity and point of difference for Nuvec® and its use as delivery system to target multiple diseases.
"With this new data we are in the process of scoping out the next phase of work to accumulate sufficient data to enable us to focus on a specific oral application and further news on this will be announced in the new year and we expect to make advancing Nuvec's® use as an oral delivery technology a key priority for 2024. In the meantime, the University of Queensland will continue its work exploring the use of Nuvec® as an oral delivery system for vaccines as part of our Australian Research Council funded grant with them."
For more information please contact:
N4 Pharma plc Nigel Theobald, CEO Luke Cairns, Executive Director
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About N4 Pharma
N4 Pharma is a specialist pharmaceutical company developing a novel delivery system for oncology, gene therapy and vaccines using its unique silica nanoparticle delivery system called Nuvec®.
N4 Pharma's business model is to partner with companies developing novel antigens in these fields to use Nuvec® as the delivery vehicle for these antigens. As these products progress through pre?clinical and clinical programs, N4 Pharma will seek to receive upfront payments, milestone payments and ultimately royalty payments once products reach the market.
For further information on the Company visit www.n4pharma.com or sign up at investors.n4pharma.com.