Resolution Therapeutics Announces Approval of Clinical Trial Application by AEMPS to Expand Phase 1/2 EMERALD Study of RTX001 into Spain
- EMERALD Study will investigate the safety and efficacy of RTX001, an engineered macrophage cell therapy, in patients with end-stage liver disease
- Recruitment already underway in the U.K., following recent MHRA approval
Edinburgh and London, UK, 19 November 2024 – Resolution Therapeutics Limited (“Resolution”), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company pioneering regenerative macrophage therapies in inflammatory and fibrotic diseases, today announces it has received approval of a clinical trial application from the Spanish Agency of Medicines and Medical Products (AEMPS) to commence the Phase 1/2 EMERALD Study evaluating its lead candidate RTX001 in Spain.
EMERALD is an open-label, first-in-human Phase 1/2 study which will investigate the safety and efficacy of RTX001 in patients with end-stage liver disease. The primary analysis will focus on safety and major clinical events, including death. The study will also evaluate biomarkers, such as the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score, which is used to assess disease severity and prioritise patients for a liver transplant.
The EMERALD study received its first clinical trial authorisation from the U.K. Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) earlier this year, and started recruiting patients in October 2024 in the U.K. It is expected to start recruiting patients in Spain in the second quarter of 2025.
Dr Clifford Brass, Chief Medical Officer of Resolution Therapeutics, commented: “We are excited to have received approval from the AEMPS to expand our Phase 1/2 EMERALD study for RTX001 into Spain. This builds on the existing clinical trial authorisation in the U.K, where patient recruitment is under way, and further demonstrates the momentum Resolution looks to carry into 2025, as we deliver on our mission of developing macrophage therapies to transform the outcomes of patients with inflammatory and fibrotic diseases.”
The AEMPS approval follows the presentation of preclinical data on RTX001 at the American Association for the Study of Liver Disease (AASLD) The Liver Meeting® 2024, held in San Diego from 15-19 November 2024, demonstrating the superior anti-fibrotic and anti-inflammatory effect of IL-10-MMP9 engineered macrophages over non-engineered macrophages. Together, these data underscore the potential of engineered macrophages to address high unmet medical needs in end-stage liver disease.