ORPH.L Regulatory News (ORPH)

Open Orphan plc

("Open Orphan" or the "Company")

Challenge virus manufacturing contract for top 5 global pharmaceutical client

Open Orphan plc (AIM: ORPH), a rapidly growing specialist contract research organisation (CRO) and world leader in testing infectious and respiratory disease products using human challenge clinical trials, announces that hVIVO, a subsidiary of Open Orphan, has signed a substantial contract with an existing top 5 global pharmaceutical client to manufacture a virus for use in human challenge studies.

Virus manufacturing activities have commenced and are expected to be completed by end of Q3 2022. The Company is optimistic that a characterisation study and a substantial human challenge study would follow the completion of the GMP-compliant manufacturing process. The aim of a characterisation study is to establish the right dose of the virus that causes a safe and reliable infection in healthy volunteers. The revenue for the manufacturing process will be recognised in 2022.

The manufacture of new challenge viruses ensures that hVIVO has contemporary challenge agents available to meet the needs of the global pharmaceutical industry as they continue to fight the battle against infectious disease. Furthermore, this ensures the Company continues to enhance and expand its offering of human challenge studies, especially among infectious diseases where variants continually emerge and are often poorly understood.

Yamin 'Mo' Khan, Chief Executive Officer of Open Orphan, said: "We are delighted to have secured this challenge virus manufacturing contract, from an existing Big Pharma client. This contract is testament to our world-class capabilities in the entire challenge trial process, beginning with virus manufacture, through to characterisation study and challenge study execution. This contract illustrates our ability to leverage this to build deep, long-lasting relationships with our clients over significant periods of time.

"This contract is also a further example of the Company's ability to secure repeat contracts from its existing base of Big Pharma clients, who have great confidence in our decades of world leading clinical trial experience. With this experience coupled with our expanded offering following the facilities expansion, I look forward to providing further clinical services support to the significantly enlarged and growing infectious and respiratory disease market."

Interested in becoming a volunteer?

hVIVO recruits many of its volunteers for its challenge study clinical trials through its dedicated volunteer recruitment website, www.flucamp.com. By volunteering to take part in one of our studies in a safe, controlled, clinical environment under expertly supervised conditions you are playing your part to further medical research and help increase the understanding of respiratory illnesses.

Individuals interested in taking part in COVID-19 human challenge study research can learn more at www.UKCovidChallenge.com.

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Notes to Editors

Open Orphan plc (London and Euronext: ORPH) is a rapidly growing contract research company that is a world leader in testing infectious and respiratory disease products using human challenge clinical trials. The Company provides services to Big Pharma, biotech, and government/public health organisations.

The Company has a leading portfolio of human challenge study models for infectious and respiratory diseases and is developing a number of new models, such as malaria and COVID-19, to address the dramatic growth of the global infectious disease market. The Paris and Breda offices have over 25 years of experience providing drug development services such as biometry, data management, statistics CMC, PK and medical writing to third party clients as well as supporting the London-based challenge studies.

Open Orphan runs challenge studies in London from its Whitechapel quarantine clinic, its state-of-the-art QMB clinic with its highly specialised on-site virology and immunology laboratory, and its newly opened clinic in Plumbers Row. To recruit volunteers / patients for its studies, the Company leverages its unique clinical trial recruitment capacity via its FluCamp volunteer screening facilities in London and Manchester. The newly opened facilities have expanded the scope of the business to enable the offering of Phase I and Phase II vaccine field trials, PK studies, bridging studies, and patient trials as part of large international multi-centre studies.

Building upon its many years of challenge studies and virology research, the Company is developing an in-depth database of infectious disease progression data. Based on the Company's Disease in Motion® platform, this unique dataset includes clinical, immunological, virological, and digital (wearable) biomarkers.