Addex Therapeutics H1 2024 Earnings Call Transcript

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September 30, 2024

There are 4 speakers on the call.

Operator

Good day, and thank you for standing by. Welcome to the Addex Therapeutics Half Year 20 24 Financial Results and Corporate Update Conference Call. At this time, all participants are in listen only mode. After the speakers' presentation, there will be the question and answer session. Dear participants, due to the technical issues today, please use the download button to download the presentation from the download menu and follow it.

Operator

Thank you so much. And now, I would like to hand over the conference to your speaker today, Tim Dyer. Please go ahead.

Speaker 1

Hello, everyone. I would

Speaker 2

like to thank you all for standing by and attending our half year twenty twenty four financial results conference call. I'm here with Misha Kalenchev, our Head of Translational Science, who will be providing an update on our R and D programs. I draw your attention to the press release and the financial statements issued earlier today, which are available on our website. Unfortunately, there has been a technical issue with loading the presentation to the webcast system, so please use the download button in order to download the presentation. We will be indicating slide numbers so that you will be able to follow, hopefully.

Speaker 2

So on to Slide 3, the disclaimer slide. I also draw your attention to our disclaimers. We will be making certain forward looking statements that are based on the knowledge we have today. I will start this conference call by giving a quick overview of our recent activities and achievements before reviewing our pipeline. I will then hand over to Misha, who will review in more detail some of our clinical and preclinical programs.

Speaker 2

I will then speak about the recent launch of Neurosterics before reviewing our half year 2024 financial results. Following that, we will open the call for Q and A. So moving to Slide 4, highlights. We launched NeuroStarix with a Series A of $63,000,000 led by Percepta Advisors. This is an innovative financing transaction that provides us with the resources needed to advance our preclinical portfolio without diluting our shareholders' interest in our clinical stage assets and partnered programs.

Speaker 2

As part of the transaction, we received CHF5 1,000,000 and a 20% equity interest in Neurosterics, securing the balance sheet and retaining significant upside in the programs for our shareholders. I will speak more about this innovative financing transaction later in the presentation. We have made excellent progress in our GABADEPAM program, and our partner, Indivior, has selected a compound for development in substance use disorders and will now take over operational responsibility for development. As a reminder, under the terms of the agreement, Addix is eligible for payments of up to $330,000,000 on successful achievement of pre specified regulatory clinical and commercial milestones as well as tiered royalties on the level of net sales from high single digit up to low double digit. Under the terms of the agreement, we have exercised our right to select an independent compound to advance our own gabapam program for the treatment of chronic cough.

Speaker 2

We have some exciting data in cough with our lead compound, which Misha will be sharing with you later in our presentation. Janssen Pharmaceuticals discontinued development of ADX-seven eleven-fourteen 9 in epilepsy. Our partnership remains ongoing, while the full data set from the Phase II study as an adjunctive epilepsy treatment is analyzed. Now moving on to Slide 5, the pipeline slide. Now for a quick review of our pipeline.

Speaker 2

As mentioned, our partner Indivior has selected a gabavipam drug candidate for development in substance use disorders and expects to start IND enabling studies in the first half of twenty twenty five. We are advancing an independent caboB PAM program for chronic cough and expect to start IND enabling studies in 2025 subject to securing financing. We continue to believe indiprogrone and are executing our plans Neuro Asterix has made excellent progress in advancing its pipeline, including starting IND enabling studies with its M4 PAM program. Now I will hand over to Misha, who will give you some more details about our exciting

Speaker 1

portfolio. Thanks, Tim. Hello, everyone. I will start by speaking about the prigivant in our plans for development in brain injury recovery. Following termination of the development of depraglarant in PD Lid, we embarked on the detailed evaluation of a number of potential indications of interest for future development.

Speaker 1

We have completed this exercise and have identified brain injury recovery as an interesting indication for the future development. We believe the differentiated profile of dibramiran makes it particularly suitable for enhancing the impact of rehabilitation in traumatic brain injury and stroke patients. Please move to Slide 7. There is a large unmet medical need in post stroke recovery and rehabilitation. Stroke is among the leading causes of chronic, often lifelong disability as it leads to motor sensory cognitive impairment and multiple comorbidities.

Speaker 1

There are over 100,000,000 stroke survivors worldwide and the number is growing at the annual rate of 12,000,000. A variety of rehabilitation therapies are used with post stroke patients, but the recovery is slow and often inadequate. There is an urgent need for pharmacological agents that can facilitate the recovery stimulated by rehabilitation therapies. Slide 8. MGlu5 receptor is a suitable target to address post stroke recovery as it is densely expressed in the brain, involving neuroplasticity and modulates excitatory inhibitory equilibrium.

Speaker 1

In fact, activation of MGuard5 has been observed in a range of neurological disorders, including stroke, where it plays a role in maladaptive rewiring of the brain following stroke. Inhibition of MR5 on the other hand can facilitate adaptive rewiring of the brain promoting neuroplasticity and creating of new functional pathways moving the neural network towards pre lesion state. Slide 9. Exciting new evidence recently published in the journal BRAIN suggests that the negative allosteric modulator of mGlor5 mPEP administered daily in rats following stroke results in a sustained and growing improvement in sensory motor function in comparison to vehicle treatment. Similar improvement in sensory motor function was observed in animals treated with our angloir 5 NAM depreglutarate.

Speaker 1

Please move to Slide 10. MRI imaging of the resting state functional connectivity in post stroke rodents shows that daily administration of MTEP also stimulates intra and intrahemisphere connectivity of the brain disrupted by stroke. It is important to note that improvements in brain connectivity after stroke is known to correlate with functional recovery and is observed across species. Slide 11, ditragulant is ideally suited to be used in tandem with rehabilitation therapies in post stroke patients as it has a fast onset of action and short half life. It has shown good tolerability in healthy subjects and in Parkinsonian patients showing only mild to moderate CNS related adverse effects.

Speaker 1

We

Speaker 2

have

Speaker 1

a drug product ready and a strong patent position and believe Dipramylon can become a 1st in class drug to facilitate post stroke recovery. We can also speculate that the Probuon mediated adaptive rewiring and facilitation of recovery following brain damage would also be seen in traumatic brain injury patients. Please move to Slide 12. Let me now switch to our GABA B positive allosteric modulator program, which is partnered with Indivior. The aim of this collaboration is to deliver a better Baclofen for substance use disorders.

Speaker 1

Slide 13. As a reminder, Galavir receptor activation has been clinically validated in a number of disease areas including baclofen, a GABAB autosteric agonist. Baclofen is FDA approved for treatment of spasticity and is widely used off label to treat numerous diseases including substance use disorders. However, baclofen has a short half life and comes with significant side effects, hampering its wider use. Thus, there is a strong need for better Baclofen.

Speaker 1

We believe this can be achieved with positive ulcerative modulators and their differentiated pharmacology having the efficacy of Baclofen, but longer half life and improved side effect profile. Our partner Indivior has selected agavipam drug candidate for development in substance use disorders and expects to start IND enabling studies in H1 2025. Please move to Slide 14. As part of our agreement with Indivior, ADX has exercised its right to select a compound to advance its own independent gabavipan program for the treatment of chronic cough. I will now present this exciting opportunity.

Speaker 1

Slide 15. There is a strong rationale for developing gabapam for chronic cough. Chronic cough is a persistent cough that lasts for more than 8 weeks and can be caused by a variety of factors including respiratory infections, asthma, allergies and acid reflux, but also possibly by overactive cough reflux. There is a large unmet medical need in novel anticlusive drugs as current standards of care are ineffective in 30% of patients or only moderately effective in up to 60% of patients. In addition, the current treatments carry risks of serious side effects.

Speaker 1

Slide 16. On the next slide, we show that cabo compounds are likely to have a superior tolerability profile in comparison to the current standards of care and show no taste related side effects as seen with newly approved P2X3 inhibitor gefapixant.

Speaker 2

Please move to Slide 17.

Speaker 1

Support for using gabapam in treatment of chronic cough comes from the clinical evidence that baclofen, a gabapam antagonist is used off label in cough patients and from anatomical evidence that GABOVI receptors are strongly expressed in airways and in the neuronal pathway regulating cough. Therefore, we believe that gabavipansel could offer superior efficacy in cough patients.

Speaker 2

Slide

Speaker 1

11, the pre IND activities including in vivo proof of concept, non GLP talks and CMC have been completed and our clinical candidate has shown favorable efficacy, tolerability and developability profiles. Our clinical candidate has demonstrated a consistent minimum effective dose of 1 mgkg and ED50 of 6 mgkg in core frequency. Noise sounds of tolerance were seen after sub chronic dosing and a tenfold safety margin was demonstrated based on tolerability biomarkers. The IND enabling studies are planned to start in 2025. Slide 19.

Speaker 1

The next set of slides describe the in vivo proof of concept studies in models of COF. In a model of citric acid induced COF in GDIFYX, acutely administered compound A delivered a robust anti deuce of activity profile, reducing the cough number and increasing the latency to the first cough. The anti deuce of profile of PacoFen, the same model was more modest as cough latency remained largely unchanged. Slide 20. In the same experiment, compound A was better tolerated than Baclofen as there were no marked changes in respiratory rate, body temperature and plasma concentration of gross hormone at up to 16 mgkg.

Speaker 1

In contrast, buccofen suppressed respiratory rate, reduced body temperature by near 2 degrees Celsius and increased gross hormone concentration in plasma starting at 3 mgs per kg dose. Thus, we believe we achieved our goal to discover a better Baclofen for chronic cough. Please move to Slide 21. In a model of citric acid induced cough in guinea pigs, sub chronically administered compound A showed signs of improved efficacy and potency and no signs of tolerance in comparison to an acute treatment. Slide 22, as expected, signs related to safety and tolerability of compound A remained largely unchanged under subchronic versus acute treatment regimen.

Speaker 1

Slide 23, in the model of ATP potentiated citric acid cough in guinea pigs in a head to head comparison experiment, acutely administered compound A and the P2X3 inhibitor had similar efficacy and tolerability

Speaker 2

profiles.

Speaker 1

Please move to Slide 24. In summary, we have selected a clinical candidate for chronic cough with a robust, reproducible anti use of efficacy of 1 mgkg and a good PK PD. The compound showed a favorable developability profile in non GLP tox studies performed in rats, dogs and non human primates. We are on track to start IND enabling studies early H1, 2025. This concludes our prepared remarks on the progress of our R and D programs.

Speaker 1

Now, I hand it back to Tim. Thanks, Mitra.

Speaker 2

So, Slide 25. Now before I move on to the financials, I would like to spend a few moments to speak about the Neur Asterix transaction. Slide 26. Due to the excellent progress made by our R and D team in advancing our unpartnered preclinical portfolio, our M4 PAM, MGLAR7 NAM and MGLAR2 NAM programs reached a stage of development where they needed significant amounts of financing to progress into the clinic. Fortunately, given the low market capitalization of Addex, raising the amounts capital needed would have been extremely challenging and highly dilutive to our shareholders.

Speaker 2

So we decided to spin out these programs and our platform into a new private company and raise the necessary capital directly into a new private company. We believe this is an excellent transaction by Addex shareholders as it has secured $5,000,000 for Addex and removed the financing overhang on the Addex stock. We have retained a 20% interest in Neurosterics, so we can benefit from the upside from advancing the programs into the clinic, which is now secured by $63,000,000 of capital from a high quality investment syndicate led by Percepta Advisors. As part of the transaction, we have divested our allosteric modulator technology platform including the majority of our staff. However, we have entered into a service agreement with Neurasterics to ensure that we can access the skills needed to execute on our business strategy.

Speaker 2

Now moving on to Slide 27, financials. Now for a review of our half year and Q2 twenty twenty four financials. Following the NeuroStarix transaction, we were required under IFRS to identify continuing operations related to our retained business and discontinued operations related to the divested business Solsys and Neuroesthetics. All income and expense items related to the discontinuing operations have been reclassed under a specific line of the comprehensive loss called net profit of loss sorry, net profit or loss from discontinued operations. Slide 28.

Speaker 2

Starting with the income statement, which related to continuing operations, we continue we recognized €100,000 of income in Q2 2024 compared to $600,000 in Q2 2023. The primary source of revenue is research funding from our collaboration with Indivior, which is recognized as the associated research costs are incurred. Continuing R and D expenses primarily relate to our GABBA B PAM program and remain stable at $300,000 in Q2 compared to Q2 2023. Continuing operations in G and A expenses primarily relate to corporate development activities and remain stable at $700,000 in Q2 2024 compared to Q2 2023. The finance result in Q2 2024 is primarily related to foreign exchange losses and to a lesser extent to interest income on USD cash deposits.

Speaker 2

Slide 29, now to the balance sheet. Our assets are primarily held in cash, and we completed Q2 2024 with CHF3.8 million of cash held in Swiss francs in U. S. Dollars. Other current assets amounted to CHF900,000 primarily relate to prepaid retirement benefit annually paid at the beginning of each year.

Speaker 2

Due to the new Sterics transaction, we expect $600,000 to be reimbursed in the short term. Current liabilities of $900,000 as of June 30, 2024, decreased by $1,900,000 compared to June 30, 2023, primarily relate to accruals and payables related to clinical research organizations and other outsourced service providers. Non current liabilities of £100,000 decreased by €500,000 compared to December 31, 2023, primarily due to staff transfers to NeuroSterix. Now on to Slide 20 30, sorry, Slide 30, summarize. I hope you have understood how transformative the NeuroStarix deal is for Addix.

Speaker 2

We have strengthened the balance sheet and secured the financing to execute on the development of our preclinical portfolio, including the very exciting M4 positive anesthetic modulator program for schizophrenia. We've made excellent progress in our GABAA B PAM program with our partner Indivior selecting a compound for development in substance use disorders with IND enabling study expected to start in the first half of next year. DIPRIGLON is ready to restart clinical development for brain injury recovery and our independent gabapam cough program has demonstrated excellent preclinical efficacy and tolerability with IND enabling studies ready to start. We are validating partners with industry, supporting investors and a strong balance sheet, which puts us on a solid position to deliver on our strategic objectives. This concludes the presentation and we will now open the call for questions.

Operator

Thank you. And now we're going to take our first question and it comes from the line of Raghuram Selvaraju from H. C. Wainwright and Co. Your line is open.

Operator

Please ask your question.

Speaker 3

Thanks so much for taking my questions and congratulations on all the progress on so many fronts. Firstly, I wanted to ask if you have some sense of the specific clinical indications in which you expect the chronic cough program to proceed with highest probability. Clearly, chronic cough is a serious symptomatic hallmark of many different respiratory, pulmonary and inflammatory diseases. But wanted to know which ones you consider to be particularly attractive and what we might expect to be the clinical path forward? For example, would you be considering advancement in COPD or sarcoidosis or related indications, please?

Speaker 1

We haven't finalized the clinical patient population to Aemet. Currently, we are considering refractory and unexplained chronic cough as one possibility, but we are open to the ideas of also aiming at COPD or IPF related chronic cough. So this is still being discussed.

Speaker 3

Also just from a clarificatory standpoint, I wanted to know whether you use the terms MED and ED50 interchangeably or not?

Speaker 1

No. No. MED is minimum effective dose and ED50 is effective is a dose that reaches 50% of the effect.

Speaker 3

The confusion stems from the fact that sometimes they use the MED abbreviation to mean median effective dose, which is the same as ED50. But if you use it as minimum effective dose, then that explains how you are using those tests. Also, I wanted to see if you had any commentary regarding what you expect to be the most appropriate comparator or competitor molecules that has historically been tested clinically in chronic cough that you would look to be the benchmark for your chronic cough program in the clinical context?

Speaker 1

We can consider baclofen and lazogabiran. Those 2 have been tested in the clinic. They are clinical studies and they are GABA B agonists. So we'd like to achieve similar, if not better efficacy with improved tolerability. So that will be our aim.

Speaker 3

But not Camlytexent. Is that correct?

Speaker 2

Well, I think clearly, we're expecting Camlytexent to be standard of care by the time we get to later stage development. So we will be definitely looking to compare our compound with Cambipixent,

Speaker 1

absolutely. And we aim to achieve efficacy in a broader population of patients. As you know, up to 25% of patients do not respond to comedepixent. And we'll be aiming to have a higher percentage of responders based on the mechanism that we are using.

Speaker 3

Yes. And I think probably many of the folks listening today will remember last year's transaction in which the developer of camlopixent was acquired for $2,000,000,000 So clearly, if you show broader efficacy than camlypixent, that's potentially a very high value program. Just wanted to ask also about some recent developments in the neurology neuropsychiatry space that may have applicability to the prospects of the neurosterics spin out. In particular, the label that was granted to Cobenphi, formerly known as CAR XT, which was developed by Corona Therapeutics and which subsequently was acquired by Bristol. So I was wondering if there are any takeaways you got from looking at the label for Covancey that may provide more of an opportunity within the schizophrenia context, particularly with regard to the prospects for the M4 positive allosteric modulator?

Speaker 2

Well, we haven't yet had a chance to have a good look through the label. But what we do know is that it's quite a broad label, and therefore, this bodes very well for other N4 compounds that are going to come up for regulatory approval.

Speaker 3

And in that context, you, I believe, have also previously indicated that the pharmacophore in question that you folks are working on with regard to m4 modulation is distinct from the emiraclatine pharmacophore, is it not?

Speaker 2

Yes, correct. It's novel chemistry, completely different from any described M4 chemistry that's out there, whether it's the emraclidine program or any of the other M4 PAM programs that are out there. Our chemistry is different, yes.

Speaker 3

Can you just refresh my memory with respect to when you anticipate the first of the neurosterics portfolio compounds to potentially complete IND enabling studies?

Speaker 2

Yes. So we're on track to complete the IND enabling studies in the middle of next year and rapidly file the IND so that we can move into Phase I in the second half of twenty twenty five.

Speaker 3

Not sure if you're in a position to speculate at this juncture regarding the prospects for public listing of Neurosterics itself?

Speaker 2

I'm certainly not at liberty to talk about the strategy of Neurosterics on this conference call, I'm afraid.

Speaker 3

Thank you very much for taking my questions. Appreciate it.

Speaker 2

Thanks, Ran.

Operator

Thank you. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. This brings the main part of our conference to a close. And I would now like to hand back to Tim Dyer for closing remarks.

Speaker 2

So thank you, everyone, for attending our half year 2024 conference call, and we look forward to speaking to you again soon.

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Key Takeaways

  • Addex secured $63M in Series A financing through its Neurosterics spin-out, receiving CHF 51M and retaining a 20% stake to fund its preclinical pipeline without further shareholder dilution.
  • Partner Indivior has chosen Addex’s GABA B PAM compound for substance use disorders, with up to $330M in milestone payments and IND-enabling studies slated for H1 2025.
  • Addex exercised rights to advance an independent GABA B PAM candidate for chronic cough, reporting strong preclinical efficacy and tolerability and planning IND-enabling studies in 2025.
  • Janssen discontinued development of ADX-71149 (an mGluR5 NAM) in epilepsy, although Addex still awaits full Phase II data and maintains the broader partnership.
  • Preclinical work on dibramiran, an mGluR5 NAM, shows promising improvements in post-stroke motor recovery and brain connectivity, positioning it for future clinical development in brain injury rehabilitation.
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Earnings Conference Call
Addex Therapeutics H1 2024
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