TIDMORPH
RNS Number : 5283J
Open Orphan PLC
24 August 2021
Open Orphan plc
("Open Orphan" or the "Company")
GBP8.1m Asthma Human Challenge Study Contract Win
Open Orphan plc (AIM: ORPH), a rapidly growing specialist
contract research organisation (CRO) and world leader in vaccine
and antiviral testing using human challenge clinical trials ,
announces that hVIVO , a subsidiary of Open Orphan plc, has signed
an GBP8.1m contract with a major global pharmaceutical company to
test its inhaled human rhinovirus (hRV) antiviral product using the
hVIVO Asthma Human Challenge Study Model, which uses a hRV
challenge agent (common cold virus).
Asthma is a long-term condition that is characterised by
inflammation and narrowing of the small airways of the lungs, which
causes coughing, shortness of breath and chest tightness. 5.4
million people in the UK currently receive treatment for asthma.
Illnesses such as the common cold, which is most commonly caused by
HRV, can worsen symptoms.
This antiviral study will be conducted by hVIVO and is expected
to commence in H1 2022. The Company expects the bulk of the revenue
from this contract to be recognised across 2021 and 2022. This new
contract further underlines the increased international focus and
investment into respiratory and infectious diseases following the
outbreak of COVID-19, in areas such as the common cold, Influenza,
and many other areas which were previously underserved by the
pharmaceutical industry.
hVIVO has two decades of experience and expertise in safely
conducting challenge studies across a range of respiratory and
infectious disease viruses, including various strains of influenza,
RSV, HRV, Asthma and Malaria, etc.
Cathal Friel, Executive Chairman of Open Orphan, said : "We are
pleased to sign this contract with this top five European
pharmaceutical company to test its inhaled hRV antiviral product
using our Asthma Human Challenge Study Model. This contract
demonstrates how our broad range of challenge study models can
support our clients' varied infectious and respiratory disease
product pipelines, and adds to our exciting pipeline of RSV, hRV,
Influenza, Malaria, and Asthma challenge study contracts.
"The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted that for the past 30
years there has been very little investment into the infectious
disease and respiratory products space. As such, when the pandemic
arrived the world discovered that the medicine cabinet of
infectious disease products to deal with COVID-19 was virtually
empty. Post-pandemic, most governments across the world, all of the
Big Pharma companies and many of the smaller pharma companies are
now investing hugely in new infectious and respiratory disease
products and as such, this market is expected to grow from $20bn in
2019 to $250bn by 2025. This restocking of the pharmaceutical
industries medicine cabinet of infectious disease products around
the world is now leading to an enormous expansion of investment
into the infectious disease and respiratory product market and will
be seen as one of the biggest growth opportunities in the history
of the pharmaceutical industry.
"Having recently launched our Malaria Human Challenge Study
Model, adding to our world leading portfolio of challenge study
models, Open Orphan is now ideally situated to be one of the few
companies in the world that can quickly and efficiently test a
broad range of these new infectious and respiratory disease
products in our human challenge clinical trial studies. Open Orphan
is well placed to work with Big Pharma and biotechs alike to move
their products through the clinic as human challenge becomes a part
of mainstream clinical trial design."
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.
Interested in becoming a volunteer?
hVIVO recruits many of its volunteers for its challenge study
clinical trials through its dedicated volunteer recruitment
website, www.flucamp.com . By volunteering to take part in one of
our studies in a safe, controlled, clinical environment under
expertly supervised conditions you are playing your part to further
medical research and help increase the understanding of respiratory
illnesses.
Individuals interested in taking part in COVID-19 human
challenge study research can learn more at www.UKCovidChallenge.com
.
For further information please contact:
Open Orphan plc +353 (0) 1 644 0007
Cathal Friel, Executive Chairman
Arden Partners plc (Nominated Adviser
and Joint Broker) +44 (0) 20 7614 5900
John Llewellyn-Lloyd / Louisa Waddell
/ Oscair McGrath
finnCap plc (Joint Broker) +44 (0) 20 7220 0500
Geoff Nash / James Thompson/ Richard
Chambers
Davy (Euronext Growth Adviser and Joint
Broker) +353 (0) 1 679 6363
Anthony Farrell
Walbrook PR (Financial PR +44 (0)20 7933 8780 or openorphan@walbrookpr.com
& IR)
Paul McManus/ Sam Allen/ Louis Ashe-Jepson +44 (0)7980 541 893 / +44
(0) 7502 558 258 / +44 (0)
7747 515393
Notes to Editors
Open Orphan plc (London and Euronext: ORPH) is a rapidly growing
pharmaceutical service/contract research company that is a world
leader in testing vaccines and antivirals using human challenge
clinical trials. The company provides services to Big Pharma,
biotech and government/public health organisations.
Open Orphan runs challenge studies in London from both its
19-bedroom Whitechapel quarantine clinic, opened in February 2021,
and its 24-bedroom QMB clinic with its highly specialised on-site
virology and immunology laboratory. Open Orphan has a leading
portfolio of human challenge study models for infectious and
respiratory diseases and is developing a number of other models
including the world's first COVID-19 human challenge study model as
part of the Human Challenge Programme .
Building upon its many years of challenge studies and virology
research, the Company is developing an in-depth database of
infectious disease progression data. Based on the Company's Disease
in Motion(R) platform, this unique dataset includes clinical,
immunological, virological and digital (wearable) biomarkers. The
Disease in Motion platform has many potential applications across a
wide variety of end users including big technology, wearables,
pharma and biotech companies. Following COVID-19 there is now a
renewed interest and investment in infectious diseases.
Open Orphan's Paris office has been providing biometry, data
management and statistics to its many European pharmaceutical
clients for over 20 years. For over 15 years, the Company's
Netherlands office has been providing drug development consultancy
and services, including CMC (chemistry, manufacturing and
controls), PK and medical writing, to a broad range of European
clients. Both offices are now also fully integrated with the London
office and working on challenge study contracts as well as
supporting third party trial contracts .
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