Released: Monday 21st August 2023

Medannex Announces First Patient Treated in Phase 1b Clinical Study of Groundbreaking Anti-Annexin-A1 Therapy

Medannex Ltd announced today that the first patient has been treated with its first-in-class immunomodulatory compound, MDX-124, in a Phase 1b study in patients with advanced cancer.

Medannex is pioneering the targeting of annexin-A1 to treat cancers and autoimmune conditions, and MDX-124 is the first medicine of its kind to enter clinical trials. Annexin-A1 is overexpressed in a wide range of tumours, driving cancer cell growth and migration. Extensive pre-clinical data in support of the first-in-human study demonstrate that MDX-124 effectively blocks the action of annexin-A1.

The modular clinical study (‘ATTAINMENT’) will establish the most effective dose via rapid dose escalation, in participants with locally advanced, unresectable or metastatic solid malignancies. The efficacy of MDX-124 will then be evaluated in front-line therapy, in combination with standard-of-care cancer treatments. MDX-124 also has considerable potential for the treatment of autoimmune diseases, and Medannex plans further clinical trials in various autoimmune disorders.

The Chief Investigator, Professor Daniel Palmer of the Liverpool Clinical Trial Centre, said: ‘We are delighted to be leading this first-in-human study, which has been designed to allow us to gather a great deal of information in a relatively short period of time. Annexin-A1 may prove a very significant clinical target, and blocking its activity with MDX-124 could represent a completely new and exciting way to treat cancer.’

Patients are also being enrolled by Professor Sarah Blagden at the Early Phase Trials Unit, University of Oxford and Dr. Stefan Symeonides at the Edinburgh Cancer Research Centre.

Medannex CEO Ian Abercrombie said: ‘This is a major milestone in the evolution of Medannex, and represents the culmination of a great deal of dedicated work by many people. MDX-124 is the first in a new generation of immunotherapeutic approaches and we’re confident it will bring significant benefits to cancer patients and people living with autoimmune diseases. We thank our scientific partners and the regulatory authorities for their guidance in developing an innovative study design and we are very grateful to the participants volunteering to enrol in the study.’

About Medannex Ltd: Medannex is a clinical-stage Scottish biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Edinburgh. The company is developing novel treatments for various cancers, autoimmune diseases and other conditions: https://medannex.org

About MDX-124: MDX-124 is a humanised monoclonal antibody, and the first agent to specifically target and inhibit annexin-A1, a protein known to play a key role in the development of several cancers and autoimmune diseases. In pre-clinical studies MDX-124 has shown significant anti-cancer activity as a single agent as well as powerful synergy with standard-of-care therapies. It was recently granted EMA Orphan Designation and an MHRA Innovation Passport for the treatment of pancreatic cancer.

About the ‘ATTAINMENT’ clinical study: The ‘ATTAINMENT’ study is a modular, multi-arm, first in human study to evaluate the safety and tolerability of MDX-124, alone and in combination with anti-cancer treatments, in participants with locally advanced, unresectable or metastatic solid malignancies.

James Ingham
Operations Director

Medannex