Saniona’s preclinical candidate SAN903 shows robust dampening of fibrosis in Chronic Kidney Disease model

PRESS RELEASE

June 24, 2022

Saniona (OMX: SANION), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company, today announced that professor Helle Prætorius, Univ. of Aarhus, Denmark, made a presentation at the ECM conference, 2022, which shows that SAN903 protects against fibrosis in a chronic kindney dease model.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a devastating, progressive deterioration of renal function that significantly impacts the quality of life for the individual and represents a substantial cost for the society. Regardless of the cause of CKD, renal fibrosis is a major component of the disease and is the best predictor of progression to CKD-associated renal failure.

Saniona’s collaborator professor Helle Prætorius, MD-PhD, Univ. of Århus, Denmark demonstrated in her presentation that Saniona’s K_Ca3.1 inhibitor SAN903 dampened renal fibrosis in a mouse model of CKD. When SAN903 was administrated daily during unilateral urinary obstruction the total fibrotic area was reduced by up to 43% (p>0.0001). SAN903 was well tolerated at all doses.

Primary investigator, Helle Prætorius said: "SAN903 and K_Ca3.1 inhibitors in general present as potential therapeutic candidates for the prevention of fibrosis progression in chronic kidney disease and other fibrotic disorders”.

Palle Christophersen, EVP Research of Saniona said: "We have previously demonstrated in multiple preclinical models that SAN903 dampens inflammation and fibrosis. The new data from the chronic kidney disease model further strengthen our confidence in SAN903 as a potential treatment for serious inflammatory and fibrotic disorders, which currently are without effective treatment options.”

SAN903 is a novel, potential first-in-class medicine based on inhibition of the calcium-activated potassium ion channel, K_Ca3.1. This ion channel is found in immune cells and fibroblasts where it participates in the control of cell proliferation and migration as well as cytokine and collagen production. Previous studies have indicated that K_Ca3.1 inhibition may reduce inflammation and fibrosis in various diseases.

Saniona expects to complete regulatory preclinical development mid 2022 and to initiate Phase 1 clinical trials end 2022 or early 2023.

For more information, please contact
Thomas Feldthus, CEO, +45 22109957; thomas.feldthus@saniona.com

This information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact person set out above, at 08.00 CEST on 24 June 2022.

About Saniona
Saniona is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company with a mission to leverage its ion channel targeting expertise to discover, develop and deliver innovative rare disease treatments. The company’s most advanced product candidate, Tesomet™, has been progressed into mid-stage clinical trials for hypothalamic obesity and Prader-Willi syndrome, serious rare disorders characterized by severe weight gain, disturbances of metabolic functions and uncontrollable hunger. These clinical trials are voluntarily paused due to funding limitations and Saniona is actively exploring partnering opportunities. Saniona has developed a proprietary ion channel drug discovery engine anchored by IONBASE™, a database of more than 130,000 compounds, of which more than 20,000 are Saniona’s proprietary ion channel modulators. Through its ion channel expertise, Saniona is advancing two wholly-owned ion channel modulators, SAN711, SAN903. SAN711 is in a Phase 1 clinical trial and is positioned for the treatment of neuropathic pain conditions; SAN903 is in preclinical development for rare inflammatory, fibrotic and hematological disorders. Saniona is based in the Copenhagen area, Denmark, and is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm Small Cap (OMX: SANION). Read more at http://www.saniona.com.

Attachment

• 20220624 Saniona SAN903 kidney fibrosis ECM (UK)