RCS - Faron Pharma. Oy - Founders named European Inventor Award finalists

Faron Pharmaceuticals OyAnnouncement

16/05/2024 07:15

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RNS Number : 6950O  Faron Pharmaceuticals Oy  16 May 2024

Faron Pharmaceuticals Oy

 

("Faron" or the "Company")

 

 

Faron founders and bexmarilimab developers selected as finalists for the
European Inventor Award 2024

 

Press Release, May 16, 2024 at 9:00 (EEST) / 7:00 AM (BST) / 2:00 AM (EDT)

 

-      Dr. Markku Jalkanen and Dr. Sirpa Jalkanen, Faron's co-founders,
have been nominated as one of three finalists in the 'SMEs' category of
prestigious European Patent Office Awards

-      Nominated in recognition of research developing bexmarilimab, an
investigational immunotherapy optimising clinical outcomes in cancer treatment

-      Voting now open for "Popular Prize" award ahead of ceremony on
July 9 via dedicated link: Sirpa Jalkanen and Markku Jalkanen | Epo.org
(https://www.epo.org/en/news-events/european-inventor-award/meet-the-finalists/sirpa-jalkanen-and-markku-jalkanen)

 

TURKU, FINLAND / BOSTON, MA - Faron Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (AIM: FARN, First
North: FARON), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company pursuing a CLEVER
approach to reprogramming myeloid cells to activate anti-tumor immunity in
hematological and solid tumor microenvironments, today announces the
nomination of its co-founders, Dr. Markku Jalkanen and Dr. Sirpa Jalkanen, as
finalists in the 'SMEs' category of the European Inventor Award 2024.

 

Dr. Markku Jalkanen, co-founder, Board member and former CEO of Faron, and Dr.
Sirpa Jalkanen, co-founder and member of Faron's Scientific Advisory Board,
have been nominated in recognition of their research developing Faron's wholly
owned precision cancer immunotherapy candidate, bexmarilimab. One of the most
advanced myeloid cell-targeting immunotherapy candidates in development,
bexmarilimab is designed to target the Clever-1 receptor present on
macrophages, activating anti-tumor immunity in hematological and solid tumor
microenvironments to overcome resistance and provide better patient outcomes.

 

Bexmarilimab is currently being investigated in the ongoing BEXMAB trial,
evaluating the candidate's safety and efficacy in combination with standard of
care (SoC) in patients with hypomethylating agents (HMAs)-refractory or
relapsed myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), an aggressive myeloid leukemia with
very few treatment options.

 

In addition, every year, the public can vote for their favorite inventor: the
Popular Prize goes to the shortlisted inventor with the most votes. The
winners in each category, and the winner of the Popular Prize, will be
announced at the online award ceremony on 9 July 2024. For further information
and to vote for the Popular Prize, visit: Sirpa Jalkanen and Markku Jalkanen |
Epo.org
(https://www.epo.org/en/news-events/european-inventor-award/meet-the-finalists/sirpa-jalkanen-and-markku-jalkanen)

 

Dr. Markku Jalkanen, Board member and former CEO of Faron, said: "It is an
honor to be recognized by the European Patent Office and nominated for this
prestigious award. The continued progress of our ambitious bexmarilimab
development program and the exceptional data we are seeing in the ongoing
Phase I/II BEXMAB trial, reaffirms our belief in the potential of bexmarilimab
to change the treatment paradigm.  These highly significant findings provide
us with continued confidence that bexmarilimab can improve the quality of life
of those suffering from these aggressive hematological cancers, where there
are limited options available for future therapy."

 

Launched by the European Patent Office in 2006, the European Inventor Award is
one of Europe's most renowned innovation prizes. This award recognizes people
behind successful inventions in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and
honors individuals who transform their ideas into solutions to address some of
the biggest challenges of our time.

 

 

For more information please contact:

 

Faron Pharmaceuticals

Investor Contact

LifeSci Advisors

Daniel Ferry

Managing Director

daniel@lifesciadvisors.com (mailto:daniel@lifesciadvisors.com)

+1 (617) 430-7576

 

ICR Consilium

Mary-Jane Elliott, David Daley, Lindsey Neville

Phone: +44 (0)20 3709 5700

E-mail: faron@consilium-comms.com (mailto:faron@consilium-comms.com)

 

Cairn Financial Advisers LLP, Nomad

Sandy Jamieson, Jo Turner

Phone: +44 (0) 207 213 0880

 

Peel Hunt LLP, Broker

Christopher Golden, James Steel

Phone: +44 (0) 20 7418 8900

 

Sisu Partners Oy, Certified Adviser on Nasdaq First North

Juha Karttunen

Phone: +358 (0)40 555 4727

Jukka Järvelä

Phone: +358 (0)50 553 8990

 

 

About Faron Pharmaceuticals Oy

Faron (AIM: FARN, First North: FARON) is a global, clinical-stage
biopharmaceutical company, focused on tackling cancers via novel
immunotherapies. Its mission is to bring the promise of immunotherapy to a
broader population by uncovering novel ways to control and harness the power
of the immune system. The Company's lead asset is bexmarilimab, a novel
anti-Clever-1 humanized antibody, with the potential to remove
immunosuppression of cancers through targeting myeloid cell function.
Bexmarilimab is being investigated in Phase I/II clinical trials as a
potential therapy for patients with hematological cancers in combination with
other standard treatments and as a monotherapy in last line solid cancers.
Further information is available at www.faron.com (http://www.faron.com) .

 

About BEXMAB

The BEXMAB study is an open-label Phase 1/2 clinical trial
investigating bexmarilimab in combination with standard of care (SoC) in the
aggressive hematological malignancies of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and
myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). The primary objective is to determine the
safety and tolerability of bexmarilimab in combination with SoC
(azacitidine) treatment. Directly targeting Clever-1 could limit the
replication capacity of cancer cells, increase antigen presentation, ignite an
immune response, and allow current treatments to be more effective. Clever-1
is highly expressed in both AML and MDS and associated with therapy
resistance, limited T cell activation and poor outcomes.

 

About Bexmarilimab

Bexmarilimab is Faron's wholly owned, investigational immunotherapy designed
to overcome resistance to existing treatments and optimize clinical outcomes,
by targeting myeloid cell function and igniting the immune
system. Bexmarilimab binds to Clever-1, an immunosuppressive receptor found
on macrophages leading to tumor growth and metastases (i.e. helps cancer evade
the immune system). By targeting the Clever-1 receptor on
macrophages, bexmarilimab alters the tumor microenvironment, reprogramming
macrophages from an immunosuppressive (M2) state to an immunostimulatory (M1)
one, upregulating interferon production and priming the immune system to
attack tumors and sensitizing cancer cells to standard of care.

 

 

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