Poolbeg Pharma plc

Poolbeg signs Option Agreement with University College Dublin for a Melioidosis Vaccine
candidate, MelioVac, and a licence to evaluate 5 other infectious disease portfolio assets

6 December 2021 - Poolbeg Pharma (AIM: POLB), 'Poolbeg' or the 'Company', a clinical stage infectious disease pharmaceutical company with a capital light clinical model, has signed an Option Agreement to licence MelioVac, a vaccine for melioidosis, with University College Dublin ('UCD') and its inventor, Associate Professor Siobhán McClean, through NovaUCD, the university's knowledge transfer office. 

The Company will continue its due diligence on MelioVac, a preclinical asset and recipient of a Wellcome Trust Award to aid its development, as well as 5 of other potential vaccine candidates discovered by Associate Professor McClean and her team, for the duration of the Option Agreement, prior to signing a 'Licence Agreement'.

Dr McClean is Associate Professor and Head of Biochemistry at the UCD School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science. Dr McClean completed her BSc in Biochemistry in UCD and received her PhD from Imperial College London. Her research focuses on lung infections which led her to develop a platform technology to identify proteins that bacteria use to attach to human cells. These proteins have proved to be excellent vaccine candidates. Dr McClean completed some of the original research to identify the antigens associated with the Melioidosis Vaccine at TU Dublin.

Poolbeg Pharma has identified melioidosis as an infectious disease of interest due to its rising incidence around the world and because there is currently no approved vaccine available. Concerns are growing about global warming contributing to the spread of the disease to traditionally non-tropical areas.

Melioidosis, also known as Whitmore's disease, is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei, commonly found in the soil and surface groundwater of many tropical and subtropical regions, with diverse clinical presentations including pneumonia and severe sepsis with multiple organ abscesses. Incidence of the disease is widespread in South-East Asia, Northern Australia and India, with climate change having a substantial impact on the spread of the disease to new areas such as Brazil. There are an estimated 165,000 cases of melioidosis each year, of which as many as 89,000 (54%) are estimated to be fatal.

Other potential vaccine candidates that the Company is evaluating include those for Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli (O157), Burkholderia cepacia complex, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii.

Jeremy Skillington, PhD, CEO of Poolbeg Pharma, said:

"Melioidosis offers Poolbeg an opportunity to expand our portfolio of infectious disease assets, as promised at IPO. This is a disease which presents a dangerous and underappreciated threat to human health which currently has no approved vaccine and a very high mortality rate. If we can take MelioVac through clinical development to Phase II ready, it has the potential to generate significant returns for investors in the short-term while contributing to the global response to the threat of infectious diseases with an unmet medical need. We are excited by the potential of the MelioVac opportunity along with the other vaccine candidates in the UCD portfolio."

Siobhán McClean, Associate Professor at the UCD School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science and inventor of MelioVac, said:

"We are passionate about developing a vaccine against Melioidosis. Poolbeg Pharma is a great potential partner to work with, bringing its experience of vaccine development and industry connections to our innovative science. On the basis that a license is taken, it would be a great to see the development of MelioVac and other candidates, and contribute significantly to the world's renewed fight against infectious diseases."

- Ends -

The information contained within this announcement is deemed by the Company to constitute inside information as stipulated under the Market Abuse Regulations (EU) No. 596/2014 (as implemented into English law) ("MAR"). With the publication of this announcement via a Regulatory Information Service, this inside information is now considered to be in the public domain.

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About Poolbeg Pharma

Poolbeg Pharma is a clinical stage infectious disease pharmaceutical company, with a capital light clinical model which aims to develop multiple products faster and more cost effectively than the conventional biotech model. The Company, headquartered in London, is led by a team with a track record of creation and delivery of shareholder value and aspires to become a "one-stop shop" for Big Pharma seeking mid-stage products to licence or acquire.

The Company is targeting the growing infectious disease market. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, infectious disease has become one of the fastest growing pharma markets and is expected to exceed $250bn by 2025.

With its initial assets from Open Orphan plc, an industry leading infectious disease and human challenge trials business, Poolbeg has access to knowledge, experience, and clinical data from over 20 years of human challenge trials. The Company is using these insights to acquire new assets as well as reposition clinical stage products, reducing spend and risk. It already has a Phase II ready repositioned small molecule immunomodulator for severe influenza and a portfolio of other exciting assets. The Company plans to broaden this portfolio further going forward and is in active discussions with AI data analysis platforms to help accelerate the power of its human challenge model data and biobank.

For more information, please go to www.poolbegpharma.com

About University College Dublin

UCD is Ireland's largest and most diverse university and one of Europe's leading research-intensive universities. Since 1854 UCD has made a unique contribution to the creation of modern Ireland, based on successful engagement with Irish society on every level and across every sphere of activity. As Ireland's leading university in innovation, knowledge transfer and commercialisation, UCD's commitment to innovation and entrepreneurship recognises the importance of active participation and collaboration to exploit leading-edge research and development outputs. As set out in Rising to the Future 2020-2024 UCD's four strategic themes are; creating a sustainable global society, transforming through digital technology, building a healthy world, and empowering humanity. www.ucd.ie and www.novaucd.ie