News provided by
Share this article
Lead preclinical program, DRX-184 (d-S-bupropion), granted new US patent with term to May 2044. BOSTON, April 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- DeuteRx, LLC , a biopharmaceutical company developing novel small molecule therapeutics, today announced that Chair, President, and CEO Sheila DeWitt, PhD, has been honored with two prestigious industry awards recognizing her groundbreaking contributions as a leader in drug discovery and biopharma entrepreneurship. Dr. DeWitt was awarded the 2025 Kathryn C. Hach Award for Entrepreneurial Success by the American Chemical Society (ACS) for her achievements in deuterium-enabled therapeutics, microfluidics, and combinatorial chemistry. She accepted the award and delivered a lecture, "Reactions to Failure: Catalysts to My Success as a Drug Discovery Entrepreneur," at the ACS Spring Meeting in San Diego on March 23, 2025 ( MEDI 4198051 ). Dr. DeWitt will receive her second award, the 2025 Gertrude Elion Medicinal Chemistry Award , at the ACS Fall Meeting in Washington, DC, on August 17. These two honors celebrate the legacies of trailblazers Kathryn Hach-Darrow and Gertrude Elion, and spotlight Dr. DeWitt's 35-year track record of innovation and leadership in pharma R&D. "It is a tremendous honor to receive these awards that recognize the groundbreaking work of two exceptional women, Kathryn (Kitty) Hach-Darrow and Gertrude Elion. While these awards reflect my individual achievements, they also pay tribute to the exceptional contributions of the colleagues and collaborators that I have had the opportunity to work with over my career as a scientist and business leader," states Dr. DeWitt. "Sheila's entrepreneurial achievements are vast in scope," said Dr. Bruce Ganem, Franz and Elisabeth Roessler Professor, Cornell University. "She has led the start-up or turnaround of nine biotechnology companies or business units and managed global R&D organizations with annual budgets of up to $30 million." A recognized pioneer in deuterated drug development, Dr. DeWitt invented Deuterium-Enabled Chiral Switching (DECS), a unique approach to create new chemical entities (NCEs) with composition of matter patent protection and the potential for expedited and derisked drug development versus traditional R&D. Using deuterium to stabilize and characterize the desired stereoisomer provides a never-before-realized opportunity to deliver a superior therapeutic with improved efficacy or tolerability for patients. Under her leadership, the team has completed three M&A transactions and advanced a pipeline of over 10 deuterated drug candidates from preclinical to Phase 2. DeuteRx is advancing several drug candidates including first-in-class NCEs for psychiatric, neuromuscular, dermatology, anti-infective, cardiorenal, and oncology indications. The lead program, deuterium-stabilized bupropion (DRX-184), is being advanced for major depressive disorder (MDD) with anhedonia. The compound was recently granted U.S. Patent 12,180,137, securing protection through at least May 2044. About DeuteRx, LLC
DeuteRx is a privately held biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing differentiated new medicines with improved therapeutic profiles for patients. The company has pioneered DECS (deuterium-enabled chiral switching) to create differentiated NCEs with new composition of matter patent protection and the potential for an expedited and derisked development path. Success to date includes 3 M&A transactions, a Phase 2b NASH drug candidate (PXL065 in collaboration with Poxel SA), remarkable discoveries with DECS, and >50 issued patents. For more information visit DeuteRx.com

DeuteRx CEO Honored with Two Industry Awards for Entrepreneurial Success and Innovation in Biopharma R&amp;D

Houston, Texas, UNITED STATES
Transformative acquisition significantly expands Salarius’ oncology pipeline into the targeted degradation space with ability to go after undruggable cancer-promoting targets, a rapidly growing area of cancer drug development with multi-billion-dollar market potential. Acquisition includes a lead candidate, SP-3164 (formerly DRX-164), additional protein degrader programs, and the related intellectual property portfolio that includes issued composition of matter patents. SP-3164 is expected to enter the clinic in 2023. HOUSTON, Jan.  13, 2022  (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Salarius Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: SLRX), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing potential new medicines for patients with sarcomas, pediatric cancers, and other cancers, today announced a definitive agreement with DeuteRx, LLC to acquire an oral, small molecule targeted protein degradation portfolio. The acquisition includes a lead drug candidate that Salarius has renamed SP-3164 (formerly DRX-164), the related patent family, including issued composition of matter patents, and the opportunity to develop additional undisclosed cancer-fighting assets in the targeted protein degradation space. Targeted protein degradation takes advantage of the body’s own degradation system to promote the selective elimination of disease-causing proteins. “This strategic acquisition is a transformative event for Salarius that significantly expands our development pipeline while building upon the momentum of our lead clinical-stage candidate, seclidemstat, our existing infrastructure and our scientific expertise,” stated David Arthur, Chief Executive of Salarius Pharmaceuticals. “SP-3164 provides entry into the exciting field of protein degradation, a fast-growing area of cancer drug research that is attracting substantial interest from some of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies because of the potential advantages of protein degraders, including the ability to go after previously undruggable cancer-promoting targets.”
SP-3164 is a next-generation cereblon-binding molecular glue. Molecular glues are small molecules that commandeer the body’s normal protein-degradation processes and induce selective elimination of cancer-causing proteins. Derived from avadomide, SP-3164 was developed by using deuterium-enabled chiral switching (DECS), a unique strategy that utilizes deuterium to stabilize the preferred, active (S)-enantiomer from the first-generation compound, avadomide. This creates a new molecular entity with the potential for increased efficacy and improved safety. Salarius plans to develop SP-3164 as a potential treatment for hematological cancers and solid tumors and plans to begin the first clinical trial in 2023. Mr. Arthur continued, “In addition to advancing seclidemstat, our goal at Salarius is to develop a multiprong internal pipeline and advance cancer therapies that address the unmet needs of patients and, by doing so, generate value for patients and shareholders. With SP-3164, Salarius plans to enter the protein degradation space which generated global sales of over $15 billion in 2020. Funded with existing financial resources, this acquisition capitalizes on our strong cash position and our seclidemstat momentum.”
As part of the agreement, Salarius and DeuteRx will collaborate to complete SP-3164 development activities and collaborate on the research and development of future products. Under the terms of the agreement, DeuteRx will receive from Salarius an upfront payment consisting of $1.5 million in cash and 1 million shares of restricted stock. Based upon the success of SP-3164, DeuteRx is also entitled to receive up to $53 million in future clinical and regulatory event-driven milestone payments and sales achievement milestone payments of up to $135 million, as well as escalating royalties on net sales. Additionally, DeuteRx is eligible to receive event-driven clinical, regulatory and sales achievement milestone payments of up to $84 million, as well as escalating royalties on net sales, for each of two future products. “DeuteRx is excited to collaborate with the team at Salarius to advance SP-3164 and additional programs for the benefit of patients in need of better treatment options,” said Sheila DeWitt, Ph.D., President and CEO of DeuteRx. “Our agreement with Salarius aligns with our goal to partner with innovative companies to unlock the value of our DECS technology platform and our differentiated drug candidates. I look forward to seeing this exciting new therapy advance through the clinic.”
Conference Call Information:
Salarius Pharmaceuticals will host a conference call and live audio webcast on Thursday, January 13, 2022, at 8:30 a.m. EST, to discuss the asset acquisition agreement with DeuteRx. Interested participants and investors may access the conference call by dialing:
(833) 423-0481 (U.S.) or (918) 922-2375 (international)
Conference ID: 6528776
Investors may submit questions to Salarius prior to the conference call by e-mail to lsher@tiberend.com. Please use the e-mail subject heading “Salarius/DeuteRx Acquisition” to ensure that the information is received. Salarius’ management will respond to select questions during the conference call. An audio webcast will be accessible via the Investors Events and Presentations section of the Company’s website http://investors.salariuspharma.com/. An archive of the webcast will remain available for 90 days beginning at approximately 9:30 a.m. EST, on January 13, 2022. About SP-3164
SP-3164, formerly DRX-164, is the next-generation, deuterium-stabilized (S)-enantiomer of avadomide. DRX-164 was developed by DeuteRx LLC. Avadomide is one of the most extensively studied molecular glues, a class of targeted protein degraders. It has been studied in more than 400 subjects across 10 clinical trials for patients with hematological cancers and solid tumors and has demonstrated efficacy when used as a single agent and when used in combination therapy. SP-3164 is a patent-protected new molecular entity with the potential for increased efficacy and improved safety compared to avadomide. Avadomide is a 1:1 mixture of two mirror-image compounds ((R)- and (S)-enantiomers) that interconvert in vitro and in vivo. Using deuterium, DeuteRx stabilized each enantiomer and characterized their dramatically different pharmacological properties. In in vitro studies, SP-3164, the deuterium-stabilized (S)-enantiomer, has been shown to be the active enantiomer as it is primarily responsible for the cereblon-binding and the anti-inflammatory activity of avadomide1. As a result, in a preclinical efficacy model, SP3164 exhibited the anti-tumorigenic activity while the (R)-enantiomer appears to promote tumor growth2. Based upon preclinical results to date, SP-3164 has the potential to exhibit a better therapeutic profile than avadomide and will be the first stabilized, single enantiomer cereblon-binding protein degradation agent to enter the clinic. About DeuteRx, LLC
DeuteRx has pioneered deuterium-enabled chiral switching (DECS), a revolutionary platform approach to improve racemic (a 1:1 mixture of two mirror-image compounds, i.e., enantiomers) small molecule marketed drugs and drug candidates intended for patients across multiple therapeutic indications. DECS builds upon the development of the single, preferred enantiomer from the parent racemic drug, also known as a chiral switch, which often leads to drugs with superior therapeutic properties. However, numerous drugs are still developed and marketed as racemic mixtures because their enantiomers chemically interconvert in vivo. Since 2010, the team has demonstrated the use of DECS to stabilize and characterize the enantiomers of such racemic active ingredients3, which resulted in the formation of three companies (Deuteria Pharmaceuticals, Inc., DeuteRx, LLC, and Neuromity Therapeutics, Inc.) and asset sales to Celgene, Poxel SA, and Salarius Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
About Salarius Pharmaceuticals
Salarius Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing cancer therapies for patients in need of new treatment options. Salarius’ product portfolio includes seclidemstat, the company’s lead candidate, which is being studied as a potential treatment for pediatric cancers, sarcomas, and other cancers with limited treatment options, and SP-3164, an oral small molecule protein degrader. Seclidemstat is currently in a Phase 1/2 clinical trial for relapsed/refractory Ewing sarcoma and select additional sarcomas that share a similar biology to Ewing sarcoma, also referred to as Ewing-related or FET-rearranged sarcomas. Seclidemstat has received Fast Track Designation, Orphan Drug Designation, and Rare Pediatric Disease Designation for Ewing sarcoma from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Salarius is also exploring seclidemstat’s potential in several cancers with high unmet medical need, with a second Phase 1/2 clinical study in hematologic cancers, initiated by MD Anderson Cancer Center. Salarius has received financial support from the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation to advance the Ewing sarcoma clinical program and was also a recipient of a Product Development Award from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT). For more information, please visit salariuspharma.com or follow Salarius on Twitter and LinkedIn. Forward-Looking Statements  
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, included in this press release are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements may be identified by terms such as “aim,” “believe,” “can,” “continue,” “developing,” “estimate,” “expect,” “look forward to,” “opportunity,” “potential,” “progress,” “could prove,” “plan,” “position,” “potential,” “suggest,” “will,” and similar terms or expressions or the negative thereof. Examples of such statements include, but are not limited to, statements relating to the following: the company’s growth strategy; the timing of clinical trials for SP-3164; the advantages of protein degraders including the value of SP-3164 as a cancer treatment; whether the company will develop additional undisclosed cancer-fighting assets in the targeted protein degradation space; collaborations between the company and its DeuteRx colleagues to complete SP-3164 development activities and development of future products; the value of seclidemstat as a treatment for Ewing sarcoma, Ewing-related sarcomas, and other cancers; expanding the scope of the Company’s research and focus to high unmet need patient populations; milestones of the company’s current and future clinical trials, including the timing of data readouts; and the expectation that Salarius’ cash runway extending through 2022. Salarius may not actually achieve the plans, carry out the intentions or meet the expectations or objectives disclosed in the forward-looking statements. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results and performance to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the following: the sufficiency of the company’s capital resources; the ability of, and need for, the company to raise additional capital to meet the company’s business operational needs and to achieve its business objectives and strategy; the company’s ability to project future capital needs and cash utilization and timing and accuracy thereof; the ability of the company to access the remaining funding available under the CPRIT grant; future clinical trial results and impact of results on the company; that the results of studies and clinical trials may not be predictive of future clinical trial results; the sufficiency of Salarius’ intellectual property protection; risks related to the drug development and the regulatory approval process; the competitive landscape and other industry-related risks; market conditions and regulatory or contractual restrictions which may impact the ability of Salarius to raise additional capital; the possibility of unexpected expenses or other uses of Salarius’ cash resources; risks related to the COVID-19 outbreak; and other risks described in Salarius’ filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including those discussed in the company’s quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2021 and in the company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date of this press release and are based on management’s assumptions and estimates as of such date. Salarius disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that exist after the date on which they were made. 1. Jacques, et al., Proc Natl Acad Sci. 2015, 112(12), E1471-9. 2. DeWitt, et al., Poster presented at Hematologic Malignancies, FASEB Science Research Conference (SRC); 2017 Jul 23-28; Saxtons River, VT
3. DeWitt, et al., ACS Med Chem Lett. 2020, 11, 1789-1792. Contact

Salarius Pharmaceuticals Expands Oncology Pipeline Through Strategic Acquisition of Targeted Protein Degradation Portfolio from DeuteRx, LLC

Search jobs
31-Mar-2021
[2021 Edition] Sickle Cell Anemia Therapeutics Market 2021 Research Considering Pandemic Impact On Businesses- BioMarin, Bluebird Bio, DeuteRx
Pune, Maharashtra, March 31 2021 (Wiredrelease) Market.Biz –:Sickle Cell Anemia Therapeutics Market Size-Share Analysis
The global Sickle Cell Anemia Therapeutics market size is projected to gain market growth of ($ 3,021.4 Mn), and it is estimated to reach $ 8,579 Mn with a CAGR rate of 11% in the forecast period 2021-2030. Let’s grow your business with Market.Biz. The Sickle Cell Anemia Therapeutics market report provides a detailed analysis of global market size, regional and country-level market size. The report also shows segmentation market growth, market share, competitive Landscape, sales analysis, the impact of domestic and global market players. A value chain optimization, trade regulations, recent developments, opportunities analysis, strategic market growth analysis, product launches, area marketplace expanding, and technological innovations are also examined here. Sickle Cell Anemia Therapeutics Market segmentation
Sickle Cell Anemia Therapeutics market is split by Type and by Application. For the period 2021-2030, the growth among segments provides accurate calculations and forecasts for sales by Type and by Application in terms of volume and value. This analysis can help you expand your business by targeting qualified niche markets. By Type, Sickle Cell Anemia Therapeutics Market has been segmented into
Blood Transfusion Pharmacotherapy Bone Marrow Transplant, etc. By Application, Sickle Cell Anemia Therapeutics Market has been segmented into
Hospitals Clinics, etc. By companies, Sickle Cell Anemia Therapeutics Market has been segmented into
BioMarin Bluebird Bio DeuteRx Emmaus Medical Gamida Cell Global Blood Therapeutics GlycoMimetics Modus Therapeutics Pfizer Sancilio Pharmaceuticals Sangamo Biosciences
Regions and Countries Level Analysis
Regional analysis is another highly comprehensive part of the research and analysis study of the global Sickle Cell Anemia Therapeutics market presented in the report. This section sheds light on the sales growth of different regional and country-level Sickle Cell Anemia Therapeutics markets. For the historical and forecast period 2021-2030, it provides detailed and accurate country-wise volume analysis and region-wise market size analysis of the global Sickle Cell Anemia Therapeutics market. The report offers an in-depth assessment of the growth and other aspects of the Sickle Cell Anemia Therapeutics market in important countries (regions), including the United States, Canada, Mexico, Germany, France, United Kingdom, Russia, Italy, China, Japan, Korea, India, Southeast Asia, Australia, Brazil, and Saudi Arabia, etc. It also throws light on the progress of key regional Sickle Cell Anemia Therapeutics markets such as North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, South America, and Middle East & Africa. Competitive Landscape and Sickle Cell Anemia Therapeutics Market Share Analysis
Sickle Cell Anemia Therapeutics competitive landscape provides details by vendors, including company overview, company total revenue (financials), market potential, global presence, Sickle Cell Anemia Therapeutics sales and revenue generated, market share, price, production sites and facilities, SWOT analysis, product launch. For the period 2021-2030, this study provides the Sickle Cell Anemia Therapeutics sales, revenue, and market share for each player covered in this report. The major players covered in Sickle Cell Anemia Therapeutics Market are: BioMarin, Bluebird Bio, DeuteRx, Emmaus Medical, Gamida Cell, Global Blood Therapeutics, GlycoMimetics, Modus Therapeutics, Pfizer, Sancilio Pharmaceuticals, Sangamo Biosciences, etc. Among other players domestic and global, Sickle Cell Anemia Therapeutics market share data is available for global, North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East, and Africa, and South America separately. Our analysts understand competitive strengths and provide competitive analysis for each competitor separately. The content of the study subjects includes a total of 15 chapters:
Chapter 1, to describe Sickle Cell Anemia Therapeutics product scope, market overview, market opportunities, market driving force, and market risks. Chapter 2, to profile the top manufacturers of Sickle Cell Anemia Therapeutics, with price, sales, revenue, and global market share of Sickle Cell Anemia Therapeutics. Chapter 3, the Sickle Cell Anemia Therapeutics competitive situation, sales, revenue, and global market share of top manufacturers are analyzed emphatically by landscape contrast. Chapter 4, the Sickle Cell Anemia Therapeutics breakdown data are shown at the regional level, to show the sales, revenue, and growth by regions. Chapter 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, break the sales data at the country level, with sales, revenue, and market share for key countries in the world. Chapter 10 and 11, segment the sales by type and application, with sales market share and growth rate by type, application. Chapter 12, Sickle Cell Anemia Therapeutics market forecast, by regions, type, and application, with sales and revenue. Chapter 13, 14, and 15 describe Sickle Cell Anemia Therapeutics sales channel, distributors, customers, research findings and conclusion, appendix, and data source. Refer to Our Related Blogs:

[2021 Edition] Sickle Cell Anemia Therapeutics Market 2021 Research Considering Pandemic Impact On Businesses- BioMarin, Bluebird Bio, DeuteRx

August 30, 2018 02:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time
LYON, France, & ANDOVER, Mass.--( BUSINESS WIRE )-- POXEL      SA (Euronext – POXEL - FR0012432516), a biopharmaceutical company      focused on the development of innovative treatments for metabolic      disorders, including type 2 diabetes and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis      (NASH), and DeuteRx      LLC , a privately-held clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company      dedicated to improving racemic drugs, today announced that Poxel has      acquired DRX-065, a novel clinical stage drug candidate that the company      plans to develop for the treatment of NASH. Poxel has also acquired a      portfolio of additional deuterated drug candidates from DeuteRx for      metabolic, specialty and rare diseases. Poxel will pay DeuteRx an upfront payment composed of EUR 6.8 million      (USD 8 million) in cash plus 1.29 million in new ordinary shares of      Poxel common stock, representing 4.99 percent of Poxel’s issued capital. DeuteRx is also eligible to receive development, regulatory and      sales-based milestone payments, and royalties on net sales. “Today’s announcement is strategically important to Poxel and represents      the third major corporate transaction that we have accomplished in the      past year,” said Thomas Kuhn, CEO of Poxel. “With the partnerships for      Imeglimin with Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma and with Roivant Sciences, and      the successful completion of the Phase 1 program for PXL770, a direct      AMPK activator that we are advancing for the treatment of NASH, together      with this important agreement with DeuteRx, we have strengthened the      company both financially and strategically. We are very excited about      our robust, well-diversified, mid- to late-stage metabolic pipeline      targeting large market opportunities, as well as earlier-stage metabolic      programs advancing in development.”
Strategic expansion of Poxel’s metabolic pipeline through agreement      with DeuteRx
Through this strategic collaboration and      acquisition agreement, Poxel expands its metabolic pipeline and gains      exclusive, worldwide ownership to DRX-065 (deuterium-stabilized      R-pioglitazone), a mitochondrial pyruvate carrier (MPC) inhibitor that      is currently in Phase 1 development. DRX-065 is the R-stereoisomer      (single isomer) of pioglitazone. Pioglitazone, a drug approved for the      treatment of type 2 diabetes, has demonstrated efficacy in NASH and is      currently the only drug recommended in practice guidelines for      biopsy-proven NASH patients1. However, pioglitazone’s use has      been limited in NASH due to its side effect profile, which includes      weight gain, bone fractures and fluid retention. DRX-065, a novel      patent-protected drug candidate, offers a new approach for the treatment      of NASH. Based upon preclinical and Phase 1 results to date, DRX-065 is      anticipated to show a better therapeutic profile than pioglitazone,      including enhanced efficacy and a reduction of side effects, such as      those associated with peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma      (PPAR-γ) activation. Poxel also gains exclusive, worldwide ownership to additional programs      that it can develop for a range of indications including metabolic,      specialty and rare diseases. As part of this agreement, certain key      employees of DeuteRx will collaborate closely with Poxel on the      continued advancement of DRX-065 and the additional programs from      DeuteRx. “NASH is an area of high unmet medical need with growing prevalence. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become an epidemic due in      part to the extraordinary growth in prevalence of both obesity and type      2 diabetes,” said Scott Friedman, MD, Dean for Therapeutic Discovery,      Professor of Medicine and Pharmacologic Sciences and Chief, Division of      Liver Diseases at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. “The underlying      pathophysiological mechanisms that drive the development and progression      of NAFLD and NASH are highly complex, supporting the need for the      development of novel therapies acting on different targets. By      addressing a variety of relevant pathways, such as direct AMPK      activation and MPC inhibition, combination therapies for the treatment      of NASH could yield greater success in the future.”
“PXL770, a direct AMPK activator, and DRX-065, a MPC inhibitor, are very      promising drug candidates for NASH that have the potential to treat the      underlying root causes of liver disease. We believe that these      mechanisms as monotherapies or in combination use together or with other      agents have the potential to provide broad treatment of this disease.”      said Pascale Fouqueray, MD, PhD, EVP, Early Development and      Translational Medicine at Poxel. “DeuteRx is excited to collaborate with the team at Poxel to advance      DRX-065 and additional programs for the benefit of patients with      metabolic diseases, including NASH and other specialty or rare      diseases,” said Sheila DeWitt, PhD, President and CEO of DeuteRx. “Our      agreement with Poxel is strategically aligned with DeuteRx’s goals to      partner with innovative companies who have global drug development      expertise and a proven track record of successful multinational      collaborations that create significant value.”
Financial terms and conditions of the agreement
Under the      agreement with DeuteRx, Poxel will acquire DRX-065 and a portfolio of      additional programs, including deuterated drug candidates for metabolic,      specialty and rare diseases for an upfront payment of EUR 6.8 million      (USD 8 million) in cash plus 1.29 million in new ordinary shares of      Poxel common stock priced at EUR 6.91 per share (USD 8.09)2,      representing 4.99 percent of Poxel’s issued capital. This issuance will be made through a capital increase without preferred      subscription rights for the sole benefit of DeuteRx, in accordance with      article L. 225-138 of the Code de commerce and pursuant to the      15th resolution of the Shareholder’s General Meeting held on June 21,      2018. DeuteRx also has the potential to receive development and regulatory      milestones in cash and/or share-based payments beginning with successful      Phase 2 data. In addition, DeuteRx has the potential to receive      sales-based payments, as well as low single-digit royalties on net      sales. These future payments are subject to the successful clinical      development and/or commercialization of these programs. As of June 30, 2018, Poxel had cash and cash equivalents of EUR 94.4      million (USD 110.1 million). Based on its current cash expectations      including this transaction, the company’s cash runway extends into 2021      and includes the completion of clinical proof-of-concept studies for      both PXL770 and DRX-065. Potential for expedited development and regulatory pathway
Poxel      plans to pursue an expedited development and regulatory pathway for the      development of DRX-065 that relies on data from the parent drug,      pioglitazone. Precedent for this derisked approach has been established      with the development of single stereoisomer drugs as well as deuterated      drugs. Both approaches have resulted in approved products with improved      therapeutic properties compared to the parent drug. MTS Health Partners, L.P. served as an exclusive financial advisor to      Poxel on this transaction. Conference Call Information
Poxel will host an investor      conference call today to discuss this partnership at 1 pm Eastern Time      (7 pm Central European Time). To participate in the call, please use the      dial-in numbers below. France Toll: +33 1 72 72 74 03
United Kingdom: +44 20 7194 3759
United      States Toll : +1 (646)-722-4916
PIN: 20511820#
UK +44 20 3364      5147
US +1 (646) 722-4969
About NASH
Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a      metabolic disease with no clear disease origin that is quickly becoming      a worldwide epidemic. It is characterized by the accumulation of fat in      the liver causing inflammation and fibrosis. The disease can be silent      for a long period of time, but may progress towards severe damage and      liver fibrosis, which ultimately can result in liver failure and/or      development of liver cancer. Typical risk factors for NASH include obesity, elevated levels of blood      lipids (such as cholesterol and triglycerides) and diabetes. Currently      no curative or specific therapies are available. About PXL770
PXL770 is a first-in-class direct adenosine      monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activator being developed      by Poxel. AMPK is a central regulator of multiple metabolic pathways      leading to the control of lipid metabolism, glucose homeostasis and      inflammation. Based on its central metabolic role, targeting AMPK offers      the opportunity to pursue a wide range of indications to treat chronic      metabolic diseases, including diseases that affect the liver, such as      (NASH).3
About DRX-065
DRX-065 is deuterium-stabilized R-pioglitazone      developed by DeuteRx LLC. Pioglitazone is the most extensively studied      drug for NASH and has demonstrated “resolution of NASH without worsening      of fibrosis” in a Phase 4 trial.4 Pioglitazone is the only      drug recommended for biopsy-proven NASH patients by the Practice      Guidelines published by the American Association for the Study of Liver      Diseases (AASLD) and the European Association for the Study of the Liver      (EASL).1 Pioglitazone’s use for NASH, however, has been      limited due to the PPARγ-related side effects, which include weight      gain, bone fractures and fluid retention. Pioglitazone is a 1:1 mixture of two mirror-image compounds      (stereoisomers) that interconvert in vivo. Using deuterium,      DeuteRx stabilized each stereoisomer and characterized their      dramatically different pharmacological properties. In in vitro studies, DRX-065 has been shown to target MPC as an inhibitor. In      preclinical models, DRX-065 exhibits the anti-inflammatory activity and      NASH efficacy associated with pioglitazone with little or no weight gain      or fluid retention, side effects which are associated with the      S-stereoisomer. Based upon preclinical and Phase 1 results to date,      DRX-065 is expected to exhibit a better therapeutic profile than      pioglitazone for NASH. About Poxel SA
Poxel uses its development expertise in      metabolism to advance a pipeline of drug candidates focused on the      treatment of metabolic disorders, including type 2 diabetes and      non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). We have successfully completed the      Phase 2 clinical program for our first-in-class lead product, Imeglimin,      which targets mitochondrial dysfunction, in the U.S., Europe and Japan. Together, with our partner Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma, we are conducting      the Phase 3 Trials of IMeglimin for Efficacy      and Safety (TIMES) program for the treatment of type 2      diabetes in Japan. Our partner Roivant Sciences      is responsible for Imeglimin’s development and commercialization in      countries outside of Poxel’s partnership with Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma,      including the U.S. and Europe. Our second program, PXL770, a first in      class direct adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK)      activator, is advancing into a Phase 2a proof-of-concept program for the      treatment of NASH. PXL770 could also have the potential to treat      additional metabolic diseases. We intend to generate further growth      through strategic partnerships and pipeline development. (Euronext:      POXEL,  www.poxelpharma.com )
About DeuteRx, LLC
DeuteRx has pioneered ‘deuterium-enabled      chiral switching’ (DECS), a revolutionary approach to improve racemic (a      1:1 mixture of two mirror-image compounds or stereoisomers) small      molecule marketed drugs and drug candidates intended for patients across      multiple therapeutic indications. The development of the single,      preferred stereoisomer from the parent racemic drug, also known as a      'chiral switch', often leads to drugs with superior therapeutic      properties. However, numerous drugs are still developed and marketed as      racemic mixtures because their stereoisomers chemically interconvert in      vivo. To date, DeuteRx has demonstrated the use of DECS to stabilize      and characterize the stereoisomers of many racemic active ingredients. Forward-Looking Statement
All statements other than      statements of historical fact included in this press release about      future events are subject to (i) change without notice and (ii) factors      beyond the Company’s control. These statements may include, without      limitation, any statements preceded by, followed by or including words      such as “target,” “believe,” “expect,” “aim,” “intend,” “may,”      “anticipate,” “estimate,” “plan,” “project,” “will,” “can have,”      “likely,” “should,” “would,” “could” and other words and terms of      similar meaning or the negative thereof. Forward-looking statements are      subject to inherent risks and uncertainties beyond the Company’s control      that could cause the Company’s actual results or performance to be      materially different from the expected results or performance expressed      or implied by such forward-looking statements. In accordance with      applicable laws and regulations, the issuance of new ordinary shares of      the Company described in this press release does not require the      publication of a prospectus.

Poxel Expands Metabolic Pipeline Through Strategic Acquisition Agreement with DeuteRx for DRX-065, a Novel Clinical Stage Drug Candidate for NASH, and Other Programs

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180829005794/en/
Poxel will pay DeuteRx an upfront payment composed of EUR 6.8 million      (USD 8 million) in cash plus 1.29 million in new ordinary shares of      Poxel common stock, representing 4.99 percent of Poxel’s issued capital. DeuteRx is also eligible to receive development, regulatory and      sales-based milestone payments, and royalties on net sales. “Today’s announcement is strategically important to Poxel and represents      the third major corporate transaction that we have accomplished in the      past year,” said Thomas Kuhn, CEO of Poxel. “With the partnerships for      Imeglimin with Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma and with Roivant Sciences, and      the successful completion of the Phase 1 program for PXL770, a direct      AMPK activator that we are advancing for the treatment of NASH, together      with this important agreement with DeuteRx, we have strengthened the      company both financially and strategically. We are very excited about      our robust, well-diversified, mid- to late-stage metabolic pipeline      targeting large market opportunities, as well as earlier-stage metabolic      programs advancing in development.”
Strategic expansion of Poxel’s metabolic pipeline through agreement      with DeuteRx
Through this strategic collaboration and      acquisition agreement, Poxel expands its metabolic pipeline and gains      exclusive, worldwide ownership to DRX-065 (deuterium-stabilized      R-pioglitazone), a mitochondrial pyruvate carrier (MPC) inhibitor that      is currently in Phase 1 development. DRX-065 is the R-stereoisomer      (single isomer) of pioglitazone. Pioglitazone, a drug approved for the      treatment of type 2 diabetes, has demonstrated efficacy in NASH and is      currently the only drug recommended in practice guidelines for      biopsy-proven NASH patients1. However, pioglitazone’s use has      been limited in NASH due to its side effect profile, which includes      weight gain, bone fractures and fluid retention. DRX-065, a novel      patent-protected drug candidate, offers a new approach for the treatment      of NASH. Based upon preclinical and Phase 1 results to date, DRX-065 is      anticipated to show a better therapeutic profile than pioglitazone,      including enhanced efficacy and a reduction of side effects, such as      those associated with peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma      (PPAR-γ) activation. Poxel also gains exclusive, worldwide ownership to additional programs      that it can develop for a range of indications including metabolic,      specialty and rare diseases. As part of this agreement, certain key      employees of DeuteRx will collaborate closely with Poxel on the      continued advancement of DRX-065 and the additional programs from      DeuteRx. “NASH is an area of high unmet medical need with growing prevalence. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become an epidemic due in      part to the extraordinary growth in prevalence of both obesity and type      2 diabetes,” said Scott Friedman, MD, Dean for Therapeutic Discovery,      Professor of Medicine and Pharmacologic Sciences and Chief, Division of      Liver Diseases at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. “The underlying      pathophysiological mechanisms that drive the development and progression      of NAFLD and NASH are highly complex, supporting the need for the      development of novel therapies acting on different targets. By      addressing a variety of relevant pathways, such as direct AMPK      activation and MPC inhibition, combination therapies for the treatment      of NASH could yield greater success in the future.”
“PXL770, a direct AMPK activator, and DRX-065, a MPC inhibitor, are very      promising drug candidates for NASH that have the potential to treat the      underlying root causes of liver disease. We believe that these      mechanisms as monotherapies or in combination use together or with other      agents have the potential to provide broad treatment of this disease.” said Pascale Fouqueray, MD, PhD, EVP, Early Development and      Translational Medicine at Poxel. “DeuteRx is excited to collaborate with the team at Poxel to advance      DRX-065 and additional programs for the benefit of patients with      metabolic diseases, including NASH and other specialty or rare      diseases,” said Sheila DeWitt, PhD, President and CEO of DeuteRx. “Our      agreement with Poxel is strategically aligned with DeuteRx’s goals to      partner with innovative companies who have global drug development      expertise and a proven track record of successful multinational      collaborations that create significant value.”
Financial terms and conditions of the agreement
Under the      agreement with DeuteRx, Poxel will acquire DRX-065 and a portfolio of      additional programs, including deuterated drug candidates for metabolic,      specialty and rare diseases for an upfront payment of EUR 6.8 million      (USD 8 million) in cash plus 1.29 million in new ordinary shares of      Poxel common stock priced at EUR 6.91 per share (USD 8.09)2,      representing 4.99 percent of Poxel’s issued capital. This issuance will be made through a capital increase without preferred      subscription rights for the sole benefit of DeuteRx, in accordance with      article L. 225-138 of the Code de commerce and pursuant to the      15th resolution of the Shareholder’s General Meeting held on June 21,      2018. DeuteRx also has the potential to receive development and regulatory      milestones in cash and/or share-based payments beginning with successful      Phase 2 data. In addition, DeuteRx has the potential to receive      sales-based payments, as well as low single-digit royalties on net      sales. These future payments are subject to the successful clinical      development and/or commercialization of these programs. As of June 30, 2018, Poxel had cash and cash equivalents of EUR 94.4      million (USD 110.1 million). Based on its current cash expectations      including this transaction, the company’s cash runway extends into 2021      and includes the completion of clinical proof-of-concept studies for      both PXL770 and DRX-065. Potential for expedited development and regulatory pathway
Poxel      plans to pursue an expedited development and regulatory pathway for the      development of DRX-065 that relies on data from the parent drug,      pioglitazone. Precedent for this derisked approach has been established      with the development of single stereoisomer drugs as well as deuterated      drugs. Both approaches have resulted in approved products with improved      therapeutic properties compared to the parent drug. MTS Health Partners, L.P. served as an exclusive financial advisor to      Poxel on this transaction. Conference Call Information
Poxel will host an investor      conference call today to discuss this partnership at 1 pm Eastern Time      (7 pm Central European Time). To participate in the call, please use the      dial-in numbers below. France Toll: +33 1 72 72 74 03
United Kingdom: +44 20 7194 3759
United      States Toll : +1 (646)-722-4916
PIN: 20511820#
UK +44 20 3364      5147
US +1 (646) 722-4969
About NASH
Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a      metabolic disease with no clear disease origin that is quickly becoming      a worldwide epidemic. It is characterized by the accumulation of fat in      the liver causing inflammation and fibrosis. The disease can be silent      for a long period of time, but may progress towards severe damage and      liver fibrosis, which ultimately can result in liver failure and/or      development of liver cancer. Typical risk factors for NASH include obesity, elevated levels of blood      lipids (such as cholesterol and triglycerides) and diabetes. Currently      no curative or specific therapies are available. About PXL770
PXL770 is a first-in-class direct adenosine      monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activator being developed      by Poxel. AMPK is a central regulator of multiple metabolic pathways      leading to the control of lipid metabolism, glucose homeostasis and      inflammation. Based on its central metabolic role, targeting AMPK offers      the opportunity to pursue a wide range of indications to treat chronic      metabolic diseases, including diseases that affect the liver, such as      (NASH).3
About DRX-065
DRX-065 is deuterium-stabilized R-pioglitazone      developed by DeuteRx LLC. Pioglitazone is the most extensively studied      drug for NASH and has demonstrated “resolution of NASH without worsening      of fibrosis” in a Phase 4 trial.4 Pioglitazone is the only      drug recommended for biopsy-proven NASH patients by the Practice      Guidelines published by the American Association for the Study of Liver      Diseases (AASLD) and the European Association for the Study of the Liver      (EASL).1 Pioglitazone’s use for NASH, however, has been      limited due to the PPARγ-related side effects, which include weight      gain, bone fractures and fluid retention. Pioglitazone is a 1:1 mixture of two mirror-image compounds      (stereoisomers) that interconvert in vivo. Using deuterium,      DeuteRx stabilized each stereoisomer and characterized their      dramatically different pharmacological properties. In in vitro studies, DRX-065 has been shown to target MPC as an inhibitor. In      preclinical models, DRX-065 exhibits the anti-inflammatory activity and      NASH efficacy associated with pioglitazone with little or no weight gain      or fluid retention, side effects which are associated with the      S-stereoisomer. Based upon preclinical and Phase 1 results to date,      DRX-065 is expected to exhibit a better therapeutic profile than      pioglitazone for NASH. About Poxel SA
Poxel uses its development expertise in      metabolism to advance a pipeline of drug candidates focused on the      treatment of metabolic disorders, including type 2 diabetes and      non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). We have successfully completed the      Phase 2 clinical program for our first-in-class lead product, Imeglimin,      which targets mitochondrial dysfunction, in the U.S., Europe and Japan. Together, with our partner Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma, we are conducting      the Phase 3 Trials of IMeglimin for Efficacy      and Safety (TIMES) program for the treatment of type 2      diabetes in Japan. Our partner Roivant Sciences      is responsible for Imeglimin’s development and commercialization in      countries outside of Poxel’s partnership with Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma,      including the U.S. and Europe. Our second program, PXL770, a first in      class direct adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK)      activator, is advancing into a Phase 2a proof-of-concept program for the      treatment of NASH. PXL770 could also have the potential to treat      additional metabolic diseases. We intend to generate further growth      through strategic partnerships and pipeline development. (Euronext:      POXEL,  www.poxelpharma.com )
About DeuteRx, LLC
DeuteRx has pioneered ‘deuterium-enabled      chiral switching’ (DECS), a revolutionary approach to improve racemic (a      1:1 mixture of two mirror-image compounds or stereoisomers) small      molecule marketed drugs and drug candidates intended for patients across      multiple therapeutic indications. The development of the single,      preferred stereoisomer from the parent racemic drug, also known as a      'chiral switch', often leads to drugs with superior therapeutic      properties. However, numerous drugs are still developed and marketed as      racemic mixtures because their stereoisomers chemically interconvert in      vivo. To date, DeuteRx has demonstrated the use of DECS to stabilize      and characterize the stereoisomers of many racemic active ingredients. Forward-Looking Statement
All statements other than      statements of historical fact included in this press release about      future events are subject to (i) change without notice and (ii) factors      beyond the Company’s control. These statements may include, without      limitation, any statements preceded by, followed by or including words      such as “target,” “believe,” “expect,” “aim,” “intend,” “may,”      “anticipate,” “estimate,” “plan,” “project,” “will,” “can have,”      “likely,” “should,” “would,” “could” and other words and terms of      similar meaning or the negative thereof. Forward-looking statements are      subject to inherent risks and uncertainties beyond the Company’s control      that could cause the Company’s actual results or performance to be      materially different from the expected results or performance expressed      or implied by such forward-looking statements. In accordance with      applicable laws and regulations, the issuance of new ordinary shares of      the Company described in this press release does not require the      publication of a prospectus.

Poxel Expands Metabolic Pipeline Through Strategic Acquisition Agreement with DeuteRx for DRX065 a Novel Clinical Stage Drug Candidate for NASH and Other Programs

Poxel is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing treatments for chronic serious diseases with metabolic pathophysiology, primarily targeting non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and rare disorders. The company's offerings include PXL065, a deuterium-stabilized R-pioglitazone for NASH, PXL770, a direct AMPK activator for rare diseases, and Imeglimin, a treatment for type 2 diabetes approved and marketed in Japan. Poxel's products aim to address targets in energy metabolism pathways. It was founded in 2009 and is based in Lyon, France.

Poxel

`` Our agreement with Poxel SA is strategically aligned with DeuteRx , LLC 's goals to partner with innovative companies who have global drug development expertise and a proven track record of successful multinational collaborations that create significant value . ''

Celgene

Epix Pharmaceuticals

ArQule

Orchid Biosciences

FMC Corporation

DeuteRx is focused on 'deuterium-enabled chiral switching' (DECS), an approach to improve racemic (a mixture of two mirror-image compounds or enantiomers) small molecule marketed drugs and drug candidates intended for patients across multiple therapeutic indications. Numerous drugs are still developed and marketed as racemic mixtures because the enantiomers are chemically unstable and rapidly interconvert in vivo. To date, DeuteRx has demonstrated the use of DECS to stabilize the enantiomers of many racemic active ingredients including bupropion, donepezil, pioglitazone, prasugrel, CC-11006, CC-122, and MSDC-0160. DeuteRx's prioritized single enantiomer product assets are DRX-065 for ALD and NASH, DRX-164 for multiple myeloma and combination therapy with immuno-oncology drugs, DRX-194 for pediatric sickle cell disease, and DRX-184 for CNS disorders.

Date	9/30/2015
Round	Seed
Amount	$2.8M
Investors	Undisclosed Investors
Valuation	$XXM
Revenue	0 FY undefined
Sources	2

How VCs Use CB Insights

Professional Services

Platform Overview

DeuteRx

Total Raised

Funding, Valuation & Revenue