Arix Bioscience plc notes positive trial data from Verona Pharma in COPD

Arix Bioscience plc notes positive trial data from Verona Pharma in COPD

LONDON, 7 September 2017: Arix Bioscience plc (LSE: ARIX) ("Arix Bioscience"), a global healthcare and life science company supporting medical innovation, is pleased to note the announcement by Verona Pharma plc (AIM: VRP) (NASDAQ: VRNA) ("Verona Pharma"), an Arix Bioscience Group Business, of positive top-line results from its Phase 2a clinical trial for RPL554 in patients with moderate-to-severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

The data from this Phase 2a trial demonstrated statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in peak lung function and a faster onset of action when Verona Pharma's RPL554 was added to tiotropium (Spiriva®), one of the most commonly used drugs to treat COPD, versus tiotropium alone.  

The double-blind, placebo-controlled, three way cross-over trial in 30 subjects with moderate-to-severe COPD demonstrated statistical significance across all primary and secondary efficacy outcome measures at the 6mg dose, a clear dose response compared to the 1.5mg dose, and both doses of RPL554 were well tolerated.

RPL554 is a first-in-class, inhaled, dual inhibitor of the enzymes phosphodiesterase 3 and 4 designed to have anti-inflammatory as well as bronchodilator properties, and is currently in development for the maintenance treatment of COPD patients and for the treatment of patients with cystic fibrosis.

Verona Pharma continues to enroll patients in its Phase 2b study to assess nebulised RPL554 for the maintenance treatment of COPD.

Joe Anderson, Chief Executive Officer of Arix Bioscience, commented: "We are very pleased to note Verona Pharma's positive trial data, which clearly demonstrates the clinical benefit of its product as an add-on treatment to one of the most widely prescribed drugs for COPD.  Verona Pharma is a dynamic company with an important drug asset, and today's data further reinforces our belief in its potential to address significant unmet needs in respiratory medicine."

For more information, please contact:

Arix Bioscience plc
Joe Anderson, CEO
+44 (0) 20 7290 1052

Matthew Cole, Communications Director
+44 (0) 20 7290 1065

Consilium Strategic Communications
Mary-Jane Elliott, Jessica Hodgson, Ivar Milligan
+44 (0)20 3709 5700
[email protected]

About Arix Bioscience plc
Arix Bioscience plc is a global healthcare and life science company supporting medical innovation. Headquartered in London and with an office in New York, Arix Bioscience sources, finances and builds world class healthcare and life science businesses addressing medical innovation at all stages of development. Operations are supported by privileged access to breakthrough academic science and strategic relationships with leading research accelerators and global pharmaceutical companies.

Arix Bioscience plc is listed on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange.

For further information, please visit www.arixbioscience.com

About Verona Pharma plc
Verona Pharma is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercialising innovative therapeutics for the treatment of respiratory diseases with significant unmet medical needs. Verona Pharma's product candidate, RPL554, is a first-in-class, inhaled, dual inhibitor of the enzymes phosphodiesterase 3 and 4 that acts as both a bronchodilator and an anti-inflammatory agent in a single compound. In clinical trials, treatment with RPL554 has been observed to result in statistically significant improvements in lung function as compared to placebo and has shown clinically meaningful and statistically significant improvements in lung function when added to two commonly used bronchodilators as compared to either bronchodilator administered as a single agent. Verona Pharma is developing RPL554 for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cystic fibrosis, and potentially asthma.