Powered by 
Translate
Translate
PRINCETON, N.J., April 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Soligenix, Inc. (Nasdaq: SNGX) (Soligenix or the Company), a late-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing products to treat rare diseases where there is an unmet medical need, announced today that the Data Monitoring Committee completed the interim efficacy analysis of its pivotal Phase 3 FLASH2 (Fluorescent Light Activated Synthetic Hypericin 2) trial evaluating HyBryte™ (Synthetic Hypericin) in the treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL). Under the terms of the interim analysis, the study was recommended to halt for futility.
"We are obviously very disappointed with the unanticipated outcome of the study," stated Christopher J. Schaber, PhD, President and Chief Executive Officer of Soligenix. "Despite the fact that HyBryte™ demonstrated statistically significant reductions in CTCL lesions after 6 weeks treatment in the first FLASH study, a similar signal was not observed with 18 weeks of treatment in this study. Over the coming weeks, we will analyze the data to better determine why the study did not meet expectations. If there is any clarity gained from further analysis of the dataset, especially with respect to specific subsets of patients that may benefit from HyBryte™ therapy, then we intend to communicate our findings and explore follow-up discussions with the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)."
Dr. Schaber continued, "With approximately $5.9 million of cash, we will evaluate all strategic options moving forward, including but not limited to merger and acquisition opportunities as well as the potential of advancing dusquetide for the treatment of Behçet's Disease, which demonstrated promising biological efficacy in a Phase 2 study last year using the intravenous formulation and has received orphan drug designation most recently from the EMA."
About HyBryte™
HyBryte™ (research name SGX301) is a novel, first-in-class, photodynamic therapy utilizing safe, visible light for activation. The active ingredient in HyBryte™ is synthetic hypericin, a potent photosensitizer that is topically applied to skin lesions that is taken up by the malignant T-cells, and then activated by safe, visible light approximately 24 hours later. The use of visible light in the red-yellow spectrum has the advantage of penetrating more deeply into the skin (much more so than ultraviolet light) and therefore potentially treating deeper skin disease and thicker plaques and lesions. This treatment approach avoids the risk of secondary malignancies (including melanoma) inherent with the frequently employed DNA-damaging drugs and other phototherapy that are dependent on ultraviolet exposure. Combined with photoactivation, hypericin has demonstrated significant anti-proliferative effects on activated normal human lymphoid cells and inhibited growth of malignant T-cells isolated from CTCL patients. In a published Phase 2 clinical study in CTCL, patients experienced a statistically significant (p=0.04) improvement with topical hypericin treatment whereas the placebo was ineffective. HyBryte™ has received orphan drug and fast track designations from the FDA, as well as orphan designation from the European Medicines Agency (EMA).
The published Phase 3 FLASH trial enrolled a total of 169 patients (166 evaluable) with Stage IA, IB or IIA CTCL. The trial consisted of three treatment cycles. Treatments were administered twice weekly for the first 6 weeks and treatment response was determined at the end of the 8th week of each cycle. In the first double-blind treatment cycle (Cycle 1), 116 patients received HyBryte™ treatment (0.25% synthetic hypericin) and 50 received placebo treatment of their index lesions. A total of 16% of the patients receiving HyBryte™ achieved at least a 50% reduction in their lesions (graded using a standard measurement of dermatologic lesions, the modified Composite Assessment of Index Lesion Severity [mCAILS] score) compared to only 4% of patients in the placebo group at 8 weeks (p=0.04) during the first treatment cycle (primary endpoint). HyBryte™ treatment in this cycle was safe and well tolerated.
In the second open-label treatment cycle (Cycle 2), all patients received HyBryte™ treatment of their index lesions. Evaluation of 155 patients in this cycle (110 receiving 12 weeks of HyBryte™ treatment and 45 receiving 6 weeks of placebo treatment followed by 6 weeks of HyBryte™ treatment), demonstrated that the response rate among the 12-week treatment group was 40% (p
