BEVERLY, MA – May 16, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) Innovation Pharmaceuticals (OTCQB:IPIX) (“the Company”), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company, is pleased to report that the Company has signed a non-binding term sheet with a global pharmaceutical company to develop and commercialize locally-administered Brilacidin (e.g., foam, enema, gel), on a worldwide basis, for the treatment of Ulcerative Proctitis/Ulcerative Proctosigmoiditis.
The non-binding term sheet also includes a Right of First Refusal for rights to Brilacidin for the treatment of more extensive forms of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, such as Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s Disease, and a Right of First Negotiation for rights to Brilacidin in other Gastrointestinal (GI) indications.
Completion of the transaction, as specified in the non-binding term sheet, is subject to further negotiation and execution of a definitive agreement. If the definitive agreement is reached and signed, the Company anticipates that it would receive an upfront payment, plus potential additional regulatory and commercial milestone payments, as well as royalties.
About Brilacidin for IBD
Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is a hard-to-treat, chronic, autoimmune condition that affects approximately 10 million people worldwide, including 3 million people in the U.S., with 70,000 newly diagnosed cases each year. World IBD Day occurs on May 19, every year, to raise awareness about this common condition. The overall GI market sector is estimated to grow from $35.7 billion in 2015 to $48.4 billion by 2022. Brilacidin is being developed as a novel, non-corticosteroid, non-biologic treatment, with formulation plans including oral tablets for Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s Disease, and foam and/or gel for mild-to-moderate Ulcerative Proctitis/Ulcerative Proctosigmoiditis (UP/UPS), two types of IBD. As released previously, a majority of patients treated with Brilacidin administered via retention enema achieved Clinical Remission (Modified Mayo scoring) in a Phase 2, open-label, Proof-of-Concept (PoC) clinical trial evaluating Brilacidin for UP/UPS. In addition, mucosal healing was evidenced by endoscopic review, an increasingly important measure toward establishing a drug’s efficacy. In late 2018, the Company presented a scientific poster—Brilacidin for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (available for download here, pdf)—at the inaugural “IBD Innovate 2018” conference, hosted by the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation. Brilacidin may be particularly beneficial in treating IBD due to: 1) its ability to inhibit Phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4), which is being pursued as a novel therapeutic avenue in IBD; and 2) its potential to compensate for defensin deficiencies that are implicated in the pathogenesis of IBD.