Cambridge, UK – 23rd April 2018: Exonate, an early stage biotechnology company, today announces that its CEO Dr Catherine Beech will present at BioTrinity in London on Tuesday 24th April 2018.
She will present ‘Achievements in the development of eye drops for Retinal Vascular Diseases’. The presentation will take place at 14.00 during session two of the BioLaunchPad Showcase which runs from 13.45 – 15.30 and is in Plenary Hall Two.
Her presentation will focus on Exonate’s mission to introduce a revolutionary, game changing eye drop for the treatment of retinal vascular diseases including wet AMD and diabetic macular oedema (DME). Exonate has developed small molecules that inhibit the production of pro-angiogenic VEGF through the selective inhibition of serine/threonine-protein kinase (SRPK1) – mediated VEGF splicing. Already these inhibitors have demonstrated superior efficacy as topical agents in preclinical models of wAMD.
Dr Beech will then join a discussion panel entitled ‘Alternative Sources of Funding’ hosted by Dr Ian Campbell, from Innovate UK. The panel runs from 15.15-16.00 and is located on the First Floor in Plenary Hall One.
This discussion will give attendees insight into the current sources of funding available, and advise them on the best type of funding to maximise success in applications to UK bodies. Other panel members include Dr Tim Luker, Lilly | Kevin Holland, DIT | Dr Christoph Ruedig, Albion Ventures.
Now in its 12th consecutive year the 2018 BioTrinity conference focuses on ‘Next Generation Healthcare‘. Some of the topics that will be explored during the event will include: ‘AI and Drug Discovery‘, ‘An insight into Nanotechnology‘, ‘Next Generation Chemistry‘ and ‘The Evolution of the Life Science Investment Industry‘. The BioTrinity conference will take place at the Novotel London West, 1 Shortlands, London, W6 8DR and will run from Monday 23rd – Wednesday 25th April 2018.
A copy of Dr Beech’s presentation will be available on Exonate’s website, www.exonate.com, after the presentation. For further information on the meeting and to view the full programme please visit the BioTrinty website: https://www.biotrinity.com/
Contacts
Exonate Limited
Tel: +44 (0) 1223 437042
Louise Shave, Marketing
louise.shave@exonate.com
FTI Consulting
Tel: +44 (0) 20 3727 1000
Mo Noonan / Lucy McKeone
About Exonate
Exonate is a privately held, early stage, biotech company spun out of the University of Nottingham that is focused on Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) in areas of unmet need, such as ophthalmology, pain, nephropathy and cancer. Exonate’s lead programme is focused on Diabetic macular oedema (DME). A consequence of diabetic retinopathy, DME is swelling in an area of the retina called the macula and wet Age-Related Macular Degeneration (wAMD), which is the leading cause of vision loss in people aged 60 and older. The Company is founded on scientific excellence with strong links to Professor David Bates and his lab at Nottingham University specialising in the biology and biochemical pathways of VEGF splice variants.
Exonate have developed small molecules that inhibit production of pro-angiogenic VEGF through selective inhibition of serine/threonine-protein kinase 1 (SRPK1)-mediated VEGF splicing. These inhibitors have already demonstrated superior efficacy as topical agents in preclinical models of wet AMD. Through a Wellcome Trust funded project, Exonate will complete an optimisation programme to nominate a pre-clinical candidate drug with optimal characteristics ahead of regulatory toxicology and safety pharmacology studies which will support an application to the regulatory authorities for clinical evaluation. Exonate expects to reach this milestone and enter the clinic in early 2020.
Exonate is led by an experienced, international management team that has previously worked together with cross-disciplinary experience in medicine and drug development, as well as successful fundraising for early stage companies.
About Diabetic macular oedema (DME)*
DME is the build-up of fluid (oedema) in a region of the retina called the macula. The macula is important for the sharp, straight-ahead vision that is used for reading, recognising faces, and driving. DME is the most common cause of vision loss among people with diabetic retinopathy. About half of all people with diabetic retinopathy will develop DME and although it is more likely to occur as diabetic retinopathy worsens, DME can happen at any stage of the disease.
About wet Age-Related Macular Degeneration (wAMD)
Today, wAMD is a leading cause of vision loss in people aged 60 years or older and affects more than 30 million patients worldwide, over 200,000 of those in the UK alone. If untreated patients are likely to lose sight in the affected eye within 24 months of disease onset.
The current standard-of-care treatment options for DME and wAMD are
Anti-VEGF antibody drugs – to prevent the growth of new blood vessels in the Unlike small molecule drugs or eye drops, these treatments must be injected into the eye once every 1-2 months. Resistance can develop to these drugs causing the disease to progress anew.
Laser surgery – to destroy abnormal blood vessels in the eye. This type of surgery is only suitable if blood vessel damage is not too extensive and if the abnormal blood vessels aren’t close to the fovea, as performing surgery close to this part of the eye can cause permanent vision.
With DME, Corticosteroids either injected or implanted into the eye, may be used alone or in combination with other drugs or laser surgery to treat DME