NEW YORK, Sept. 28, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Scopus BioPharma Inc. (Nasdaq: “SCPS”), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing transformational therapeutics for serious diseases with significant unmet medical need, announced today that Duet Therapeutics, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Scopus, will release scientific data during the 17th Annual Meeting of the Oligonucleotide Therapeutics Society. The meeting will conclude on Wednesday, September 29, 2021.
Alan Horsager, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Duet and President — Immuno-Oncology of Scopus, will present DUET-01: Bispecific Oligonucleotide Targeting TLR9 and STAT3 Signaling for B Cell Lymphoma Immunotherapy as part of Session VIII: Oligonucleotide Preclinical I.
Dr. Horsager has also presented Bifunctional Oligonucleotides for Systemic Treatment of Immunologically Cold Solid Tumors as an Industry Talk.
Duet has also released a video depicting the mechanism of action for its proprietary CpG-STAT3 inhibitors, which can be viewed here, to coincide with Duet’s presentations at the OTS Meeting.
About the Duet Platform
Duet Therapeutics integrates the immunotherapy assets of Scopus and Olimmune, creating the Duet Platform. Olimmune was acquired by Scopus in June 2021. Duet is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Scopus.
The Duet Platform is comprised of three distinctive, complementary CpG-STAT3 inhibitors:
| • RNA silencing | CpG-STAT3siRNA | (“DUET-01”) |
| • Antisense | CpG-STAT3ASO | (“DUET-02”) |
| • DNA-binding inhibitor | CpG-STAT3decoy | (“DUET-03”) |
DUET-01 is in a Phase 1 clinical trial, as a monotherapy, for B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Duet expects to file two INDs for DUET-02 in Q4 2022 in genitourinary and head & neck cancers, with clinical Phase 1 trials beginning in Q1 2023 in the United States. Duet is also evaluating combination therapies with checkpoint inhibitors.
About Scopus BioPharma
Scopus BioPharma Inc., both directly and through subsidiaries, is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing transformational therapeutics for serious diseases with significant unmet medical need. The company’s lead drug candidate is a novel, targeted immuno-oncology RNA therapy for the treatment of multiple cancers. This drug candidate is highly distinctive, encompassing both RNA therapy and immunotherapy by synthetically linking siRNA to an oligonucleotide TLR9 agonist, creating the potential for targeted gene silencing with simultaneous TLR stimulation and immune activation in the tumor microenvironment. Additional STAT3-targeting immunotherapy drug candidates include bifunctional antisense and DNA-binding inhibition therapies. In addition, the company is developing additional drug candidates that target the endocannabinoid system, including MRI-1867 for the treatment systemic sclerosis. The company also seeks to identify additional compelling technologies for potential acquisition, in-licensing and/or other similar transactions. Receive updates by following Scopus BioPharma on Twitter here.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release may include forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks (including those set forth in the company’s Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, as amended, filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”)) and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ from the forward-looking statements. The company expressly disclaims any obligations or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in the company’s expectations with respect thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any statement is based. Investors should realize that if our underlying assumptions for the projections contained herein prove inaccurate or that known or unknown risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results could vary materially from our expectations and projections. Further, there can be no assurance that the company will identify and/or consummate any transaction relating to any additional technologies.
Contacts
Rodd Leeds/David Waldman
Crescendo Communications, LLC
Tel: (212) 671-1020
Email: SCPS@crescendo-ir.com
Hugh Burns/Delia Cannan/Nicholas Leasure
Reevemark
Tel: (212) 433-4600
Email: scopus@reevemark.com
