Press release
Monopar Announces Agreement with Alexion, AstraZeneca Rare Disease For Late-Stage Wilson Disease Drug Candidate
WILMETTE, Ill., Oct. 24, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Monopar Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq: MNPR), a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing
About this update from Monopar Therapeutics Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":"WILMETTE, Ill., Oct. 24, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Monopar Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq: MNPR), a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing innovative treatments for patients with unmet medical needs, today announced that it has entered into an agreement with Alexion, AstraZeneca Rare Disease for an exclusive worldwide license to ALXN-1840 (bis-choline tetrathiomolybdate), a drug candidate for Wilson disease that Alexion has progressed through a Phase 3 clinical trial that met its primary endpoint. Monopar will be responsible for all future global development and commercialization activities. Chandler D. Robinson, MD, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Monopar previously researched tetrathiomolybdate at the laboratory bench, published his results in Science, and helped launch a company around what became known as ALXN-1840. The focus was on Wilson disease. Dr. Robinson came to know the Wilson disease community well through his efforts. At the Wilson Disease Association’s request, he delivered the keynote address at their 2013 Annual Conference celebrating their 30th anniversary, sharing his experience helping advance ALXN-1840 from the laboratory bench to patients. In 2023, Alexion terminated the ALXN-1840 program in Wilson disease based on review of results from Phase II mechanistic trials and discussions with regulatory authorities. Chris Starr, PhD, Co-Founder and Executive Chair of Monopar said, “Upon the 2023 announcement, Chandler, due to his long history with the program and the continued high level of unmet medical need, was contacted by Wilson disease patients, executives and board members of the Wilson Disease Association, as well as physicians regarding the potential for Monopar to obtain rights to ALXN-1840. Due in no small measure to the testimonials Chandler received from clinical trial patients who reported benefit while on the drug for years, we decided that this was an opportunity Monopar needed to pursue, and it fits well with my rare disease drug development and commercialization background as well as Chandler’s background.” Dr. Starr also previously co-founded the orphan drug companies BioMarin and Raptor Pharma (acquired by Horizon Pharma, now a part of Amgen). Dr. Robinson commented, “Alexion has generated a substantial clinical data package on ALXN-1840, including a completed Pivotal Ph...