Helix BioPharma Corp called 2021 a "productive year" in a year-end corporate update to shareholders.
The Richmond Hill, Ontario-based firm is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing unique therapies in the field of immune-oncology for the prevention and treatment of cancer based on its proprietary technological platform DOS47.
During the second half of 2021, the company initiated efforts to validate its lead clinical program with external stakeholders to bring in an outside perspective to the company's strategy and future, the company said.
READ: Helix BioPharma spends C$1.24M on R&D in its fiscal first quarter
"Our clinical program remains our highest priority to ensure we deliver on a substantial data package that would ultimately benefit patients and stakeholders alike. We await the final trial reports of Phase I and II studies in lung cancer in 2022,” said Slawomir Majewski, interim CEO.
He added: “The other clinical trial in pancreatic cancer continues and we remain committed to this study. In addition, in May 2021, we announced an agreement with Lind Global Macro Fund, LP, and subsequently closed a first tranche financing for gross proceeds of $3,500,000. We are also working diligently to identify potential candidates to act as the company's permanent CEO."
Helix BioPharma higlighted several achievements throughout the year, including:
- In May, Helix engaged the consulting services of Christof Boehler, a seasoned biotechnology scientist and entrepreneur to assess Helix and its assets. The outcome of this engagement was a positive outlook on the potentials of L-DOS47, which has been demonstrated as safe in approximately 100 patients to date in the company's Phase 1 clinical trials
- Helix also retained the services of a highly experienced oncology consultancy, Cello Healthcare in August. A major aspect of this engagement included interviews with certain key opinion leaders in the field to obtain their feedback and recommendations on the company's L-DOS47 technology platform. The outcome of these interviews conducted by Cello both validated the clinical work completed by Helix to date, and also helped the company identify additional opportunities to further strengthen and de-risk its clinical program
- In September, Helix retained the consultancy services of Atul Deshpande, another seasoned biotech executive who helped his previous employer, an immuno-oncology company, raise significant funds from venture capital funds, and designed a focused strategy and execution plan in furtherance of the company's public listing and significant concurrent financing.
"We are hopeful that this kind of external validation combined with internal expertise and experience will enable Helix to remain focused on the progression towards developing unique therapies in the field of immuno-oncology for the treatment of cancer. We will continue to partner with these experienced advisors and experts in the field with an aim of enhancing the value of our platform and assets," Majewski concluded.
Contact Ritika at ritika@proactiveinvestors.com