4D pharma PLC (AIM:DDDD, NASDAQ:LBPS) has some significant milestones upcoming this year after a successful 12 months of developing assets that target the human microbiome, the bacterial ecosystem in the gut.
The update was provided alongside prelims which showed the drug developer posted a £26.1mln operating loss in the year to 31 December 2021 after it spent £19.8mln on research and development. The deficit grew to £54.7mln after accounting for the fair value of shares and warrants. As at the year-end it had £15.5mln in the bank.
Last year, it kicked off a phase I/II trial in cancer patients, treating them with one of 4D's lead assets, MRx0518, in combination with Keytruda, a checkpoint inhibitor drug.
Results were published in late March, earlier than expected, showing signs of efficacy.
This was the highlight of a busy period of clinical research that will continue for the remainder of 2022 and beyond.
4D’s 2022 programme is as follows:
- First patient dosing in a phase II study of MRx0518 and cancer treatment Bavencio (sometime this quarter)
- Complete enrolment of a phase I assessment of MRx0518 in pancreatic cancer (this quarter)
- Present data from its phase I/II asthma trial (May)
- Part B of the ongoing phase I/II trial of MRx-4DP0004 in asthma (second half)
- Phase I trial of MRx0005 and MRx0029 in people with Parkinson's disease expected to commence (second half)
- Provide update and guidance on phase II study of Blautix in patients with irritable bowel syndrome