Secarna enters co-development pact with MetP Pharma for transnasally delivered antisense oligonucleotide-based CNS therapeutics

Secarna Pharmaceuticals (Secarna), a new breed of biopharmaceutical company, has entered into a co-development agreement with MetP Pharma (MetP), a privately held specialty pharmaceutical company. The companies will combine Secarna’s unique LNAplus antisense oligonucleotides platform with MetP’s leading commercial-stage nasal drug delivery technology to develop novel and highly innovative treatment options for neurodegenerative diseases.

For some indications and drugs, nasal application is superior to other administration methods. This is mainly due to the fact that nasal mucosa and olfactory epithelium allow substances to directly enter the peripheral circulation and central nervous system. MetP developed a unique delivery technology, a nasal unit-dose container and a proprietary formulation, which is intended to transport novel antisense oligonucleotide-based therapeutics developed by Secarna to the brain by the nerve (olfactory and trigeminal) pathways, only available after nasal application, bypassing the blood brain barrier and therewith provide new CNS medications to patients. The combination of MetP´s delivery technology with Secarna´s drug candidates shall create a reliable, easy-to-use drug-device combination also associated with potentially superior safety, efficacy and reduced toxicity at lower doses.

Secarna’s proprietary third generation drug discovery platform LNAplus, which encompasses all aspects of drug discovery and pre-clinical development, enables the Company to discover novel antisense therapies for challenging or currently not druggable targets. Secarna’s LNAplus platform and LNAplus based ASOs have previously been validated by in-house projects as well as in academic and industry collaborations. With over 15 development programs focusing on targets and indications such as immuno-oncology, immunology, antiviral, fibrotic diseases, ophthalmology, neurodegenerative diseases and cardiometabolic diseases, where antisense-based approaches have clear benefits comparted to other therapeutic modalities, Secarna is a leading antisense drug discovery and development company.