Kancera provides an update on the development of the drug candidate KAND145

Kancera AB (Nasdaq First North Premier Growth Market: KAN) today provides an update on the development of the drug candidate KAND145. Results from the ongoing patenting process underscores the level of innovation of KAND145. In addition, positive clinical results from the Phase Ib program, presented today for Kancera's first drug candidate, provide excellent basis for progressing KAND145 into clinical phase. In parallel, the company has secured production of KAND145 with the quality required for regulatory safety studies.

Scientific studies have shown elevated levels of Fractalkine associated with cardiovascular disease, inflammatory disease, and certain cancers. The receptor is an important link in the inflammatory process and a promising target protein for new anti-inflammatory drugs in several indication areas. Kancera's prioritized and most advanced Fractalkine blocker KAND567 is being developed to effectively reduce heart and vessel inflammation following a heart attack, and the application for a Phase II study is expected to be submitted to authorities in the second quarter of 2020. In May 2019, another drug candidate, KAND145, was nominated , which gives the company the opportunity to develop two separate drugs to make better use of the full potential of the Fractalkine concept.

A patent application for KAND145 (PCT / EP2019 / 068169) was filed in June 2018 and in accordance with the international patent treaty PCT, the application has now been examined with regard to news value, degree of invention and industrial usability. The review shows that KAND145 is performing well in all three categories, which points towards the potential for a strong international patent protection for at least 20 years from the filing date.

The drug candidate KAND145 has properties that facilitate the formulation of an easily soluble and stable product for both oral and intravenous treatment.  Following administration of KAND145, the drug candidate is activated through a process which includes release of KAND567. This process further distinguishes KAND145 as a drug candidate that will be developed as a unique product. The comprehensive knowledge about  KAND567 provides an excellent basis for progressing KAND145 into clinical development with a higher probability of success than the average drug development project.

The next step in the clinic preparatory development of KAND145 is preclinical safety studies. For these studies, Kancera has manufactured KAND145 with a quality that is equivalent to a final drug.

- Progress in the development of KAND145 has been made in parallel with the phase Ib program for KAND567. With two unique drug candidates, each with strong support for patent protection, Kancera’s position is stronger. This reinforces our ambition to reach the full medical and commercial potential for this new class of drugs to treat severe inflammatory diseases, says Thomas Olin, CEO of Kancera.

About Kancera AB
Kancera develops drugs that counteract damage during acute and chronic inflammation. The Fractalkine blocker KAND567 is primarily developed to effectively and selectively reduce the inflammation of the heart and vessels following a heart attack and is expected to apply for a clinical phase II study during the first half of 2020. Since scientific studies have shown elevated levels of fractalkine not only in heart attacks but also in inflammatory diseases and certain forms of cancer, there are several possible development opportunities for the fractalkine blockers KAND567 and KAND145. Kancera also develops preclinical drug projects against cancer aimed at stopping survival signals in the cancer cell and preventing the cancer cell's ability to be repaired. Kancera operates at Karolinska Institutet Science Park in Stockholm. The share is traded on Nasdaq First North. FNCA Sweden AB (tel. 08-528 00 399, info@fnca.se) is the company's Certified Adviser. MD PhD Charlotte Edenius, MD PhD Anders Gabrielsen, Professor Carl-Henrik Heldin and Professor Håkan Mellstedt are all scientific advisors and board members of Kancera AB.