N4 Pharma shares rise on partnership with Nanomerics

Specialist pharmaceutical company N4 Pharma has signed a 14-month research collaboration with Nanomerics to produce and test two candidate formulations using its ‘Nuvec’ delivery system, it announced on Tuesday.

The AIM-traded firm described Nanomerics as a speciality pharmaceutical company focussed on the development of products with enhanced bioavailability.

It said its founders, Ijeoma Uchegbu and Andreas Schätzlein, each held chairs at the UCL School of Pharmacy, and described them as “world leaders” in polymeric nanotechnology, having published several books and multiple peer reviewed papers in the field.

As well as being granted more than 20 patents in the field of polymeric nanotechnology, Nanomerics also won first prize for its core molecular envelope technology at the Royal Society of Chemistry's Emerging Technologies Competition 2017, in the health category.

The collaboration would be split into two consecutive phases, each expected to last around seven months.

N4 explained that the first phase would be to develop and test the 30-day stability of four different Nuvec formulations, using both a well characterised plasmid DNA which would allow a broad comparison with existing literature, and a novel small interfering RNA (siRNA).

The second phase would involve testing the efficacy of the plasmid DNA in an in vivo antibody generation model, and include the option to test the siRNA antigen in a gene-silencing tumour model.

N4 said it had secured access to test the novel siRNA antigen by signing a material transfer agreement with an unnamed North American academic institute.

That SiRNA inhibited the production of a protein variant implicated in both cancer and neurodegenerative pathologies, the board said.

“This is an exciting opportunity for the company to accelerate the development of its Nuvec® delivery system,” said chief executive officer Nigel Theobald.

“Through our collaboration with Nanomerics we will be gaining access to scientists and laboratories with considerable expertise in the field of nanotechnology delivery system development and testing.

“Demonstrating 30-day stability will be a major milestone in highlighting the potential for Nuvec to be used in a product and, by securing access to a novel siRNA, the company will considerably broaden its data pack showing the versatility and utility of the Nuvec system.”

Theobald explained that the first phase of the work would run alongside the existing planned in vitro and in vivo testing of more disperse Nuvec formulations, further details of which the company announced in its interim results on 18 September.

“Phase two will replace the previously planned efficacy work announced in the interim results.

“By working with Nanomerics, the company will now be able to undertake two efficacy studies.”

Ijeoma Uchegbu, chief technology officer of Nanomerics, added that the firm was “delighted” to be working with N4 Pharma and its Nuvec delivery system.

“Having reviewed their existing data we can see the potential of the technology and, together with the company, have devised a work programme to advance Nuvec to the next level, with the aim of truly understanding its capabilities and unlocking its potential.”

At 1320 GMT, shares in N4 Pharma were up 9% at 3.27p.