ReNeuron Group PLC (LON:RENE) will tell investors at its annual meeting that a Phase IIb clinical trial of its potentially breakthrough CTX cell treatment for stroke will soon get underway in the US.
The first of a group of 110 patients taking part in PICSE III will be enrolled ‘shortly’.
WATCH: 'All systems go' with ReNeuron Group Plc looking to treat first PISCES III patient shortly
Top-line data from the randomised, placebo-controlled study is expected in early 2020, having been previously penciled in for the end of 2019.
In the update, the company said it expected to sign a definitive licensing agreement for its cell-based retinal technology later this year.
It has received a US$2.5mln exclusivity payment and will get the same again from an unnamed potential partner once the due diligence process is concluded.
Negotiations on other collaborations and out-licensing transactions continue.
“These potential deals, if successfully concluded, will provide strong third-party validation to our technologies and programmes as well as a source of significant non-dilutive funding to the company,” investors at the ReNeuron AGM will hear.
Specialist in cell science
As mentioned above, ReNeuron is a cell therapy specialist. Its CTX line is being developed for stroke patients, while its hRPC stem cell candidate has been used to treat people with retinitis pigmentosa.
The study has now expanded to target people with less impaired vision and the first read-out from this early-stage trial is expected by the middle of next year.
The group's hRPC cells will also be deployed in the phase II study of sufferers of cone-rod dystrophy, which will run in parallel with a planned phase IIb in retinitis pigmentosa.
Turning to ReNeuron's exosome nanomedicine platform, the group's research team presented positive pre-clinical data on an ExoPr0 therapy, which has the potential to target multiple diseases. The plan is to lodge an initial clinical trial application next year for its use in cancer.