Motor Neuron Disease

STOCKHOLM, March 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- BioArctic AB (publ) (STO: BIOA B) announced today that BioArctic's founder, Professor Lars Lannfelt, was awarded the European Grand Prix for his research on Alzheimer's disease at the anniversary gala for La Fondation Recherche Alzheimer in Paris on March 18. The prize was presented by the President of France, Emmanuel Macron. Professor Lannfelt received the award for his groundbreaking research, which has played a significant role in the scientific progress in the field over decades, leading to the development of lecanemab, a disease-modifying treatment for early Alzheimer's disease approved in the U.S., Japan and China. "Being able to give hope and contribute to the treatment of patients affected by Alzheimer's disease is what has driven me throughout my research life," said Professor Lars Lannfelt. "It is inspiring to see how research in this field has now begun to take quantum leaps with the development of treatments such as lecanemab which demonstrated meaningful benefits to patients in the global Phase 3 Clarity AD trial using gold standard endpoints. Coupled with the introduction of modern diagnostic methods, I am convinced that we are facing a paradigm shift where, in time, we will be able to offer not just a slowdown in the progression of the disease but eventually even stopping the disease process." Professor Lars Lannfelt founded BioArctic together with Pär Gellerfors in 2003 to develop an antibody treatment based on Lannfelt's groundbreaking discoveries of the role of amyloid-beta protein in Alzheimer's disease. These discoveries are the basis for lecanemab, an antibody treatment developed in collaboration with the Japanese company Eisai. By binding to specific forms of amyloid-beta, which causes Alzheimer's disease, lecanemab helps to clear them from the brain, thereby altering the course of the disease. La Fondation Recherche Alzheimer was founded in 2004 and aims to improve the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease and pave the way for effective treatments. This is done by focusing their operations on financing research with a focus on early detection, development of new drugs and treatments, and improving care and support for patients and their families. The information was released for public disclosure, through the agency of the contact persons below, on March 19, 2024, at 08.00 a.m. CET. For further information, please contact: Oskar Bosson, VP Communications and IR E-mail: [email protected] Phone: +46 70 410 71 80 Jiang Millington, Director Corporate Communication and Social Media E-mail: [email protected] Phone: +46 79 33 99 166 About lecanemab Lecanemab is the result of a strategic research collaboration between BioArctic and Eisai. Lecanemab is a humanized IgG1 (immunoglobulin gamma 1) monoclonal antibody targeting aggregated soluble and insoluble forms of amyloid beta (Aβ). Lecanemab is approved in the USA, Japan, and China under the brand name Leqembi®. About the collaboration between BioArctic and Eisai Since 2005, BioArctic has a long-term collaboration with Eisai regarding the development and commercialization of drugs for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. The most important agreements are the Development and Commercialization Agreement for the lecanemab antibody, which was signed 2007, and the Development and Commercialization agreement for the antibody LEQEMBI back-up for Alzheimer's disease, which was signed 2015. In 2014, Eisai and Biogen entered into a joint development and commercialization agreement for lecanemab. Eisai is responsible for the clinical development, application for market approval and commercialization of the products for Alzheimer's disease. BioArctic has the right to commercialize lecanemab in the Nordic region under certain conditions and is currently preparing for commercialization in the Nordics together with Eisai. BioArctic has no development costs for lecanemab in Alzheimer's disease and is entitled to payments in connection with regulatory approvals, and sales milestones as well as royalties on global sales. About BioArctic AB BioArctic AB (publ) is a Swedish research-based biopharma company focusing on disease-modifying treatments for neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and ALS. BioArctic focuses on innovative treatments in areas with high unmet medical needs. The company was founded in 2003 based on innovative research from Uppsala University, Sweden. Collaborations with universities are of great importance to the company together with its strategically important global partner Eisai in Alzheimer disease. The project portfolio is a combination of fully funded projects run in partnership with global pharmaceutical companies and innovative in-house projects with significant market and out-licensing potential. BioArctic's Class B share is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm Large Cap (ticker: BIOA B). For more information about BioArctic, please visit . This information was brought to you by Cision The following files are available for download: SOURCE BioArctic

SOD1- ALS is a devastating, uniformly fatal, and ultra-rare genetic form of ALS that represents approximately two percent of all ALS cases1 Health Canada regulatory decision on tofersen New Drug Submission expected in early 2025 TORONTO, March 19, 2024 /CNW/ - Biogen Canada Inc. announced today that Health Canada has accepted for review a New Drug Submission(NDS) for tofersen for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in adults who have a mutation in the superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) gene. If approved, tofersen will be the first treatment indicated in Canada to target a genetic cause of ALS. "The tofersen New Drug Submission represents a critical milestone for the Canadian ALS community and those suffering from this ultra-rare genetic form of the disease that robs them of time with loved ones," said Eric Tse, General Manager of Biogen Canada. "For over a decade, Biogen has been committed to advancing ALS research to provide a deeper understanding of this devastating disease. We are passionate about doing what we can to make a difference and are deeply committed to the rare disease community." According to the ALS Society of Canada, ALS currently impacts an estimated 4,000 Canadians, with approximately 1,000 new Canadians diagnosed each year.2 The NDS is based on results from the Phase 3 VALOR trial, a 28-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study, which assessed the safety and efficacy of tofersen in patients with weakness attributable to ALS and a confirmed SOD1 mutation. A regulatory decision on the New Drug Submission is expected in early 2025. About tofersen Tofersen is an antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) designed to bind to SOD1 mRNA to reduce SOD1 protein production. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted accelerated approval for QALSODY™ (tofersen) to treat amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in adults who have a mutation in the superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) gene based on reduction in plasma neurofilament light chain (NfL) observed in patients treated with tofersen. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification of clinical benefit in confirmatory trial(s).3 Tofersen also received a positive opinion from the European Medicines Agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) recommending its marketing authorization under exceptional circumstances for the treatment of adults with ALS associated with a mutation in the SOD1 gene.4 A decision on a marketing authorization in the European Union is expected in the second quarter of 2024. Biogen licensed tofersen from Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. under a collaborative development and license agreement. Tofersen was discovered by Ionis. In addition to an ongoing open label extension (OLE) of VALOR, tofersen is being studied in the Phase 3, randomized, placebo-controlled ATLAS study to evaluate whether tofersen can delay clinical onset when initiated in presymptomatic individuals with a SOD1 genetic mutation and biomarker evidence of disease activity (elevated plasma NfL). More details about ATLAS (NCT04856982) can be found at clinicaltrials.gov. About Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and SOD1-ALS Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a rare, progressive, and fatal neurodegenerative disease that results in the loss of motor neurons in the brain and the spinal cord that are responsible for controlling voluntary muscle movement. People with ALS experience muscle weakness and atrophy, causing them to lose independence as they steadily lose the ability to move, speak, eat, and eventually breathe. Average life expectancy for people with ALS is three to five years from time of symptom onset.5 Multiple genes have been implicated in ALS. Genetic testing helps determine if a person's ALS is associated with a genetic mutation, even in individuals without a known family history of the disease. More than 15 percent of people with ALS are thought to have a genetic form of the disease;6 however, they may not have a known family history of the disease.1 SOD1-ALS is diagnosed in approximately two percent of all ALS cases.1 In people with SOD1-ALS, mutations in their SOD1 gene cause their bodies to create a toxic misfolded form of SOD1 protein. This toxic protein causes motor neurons to degenerate, resulting in progressive muscle weakness, loss of function, and eventually, death.6 Biogen's Continuous Commitment to ALS For over a decade, Biogen has been committed to advancing ALS research to provide a deeper understanding of all forms of the disease. The company has continued to invest in and pioneer research despite making the difficult decision to discontinue a late-stage ALS asset in 2013. Biogen has applied important learnings to its portfolio of assets for genetic and other forms of ALS, with the goal of increasing the probability of bringing a potential therapy to patients in need. These applied learnings include evaluating genetically validated targets in defined patient populations, pursuing the most appropriate modality for each target and employing sensitive clinical endpoints. In addition to tofersen, the company has a pipeline of investigational drugs being evaluated in ALS, including BIIB105. About Biogen Founded in 1978, Biogen is a leading biotechnology company that pioneers innovative science to deliver new medicines to transform patient lives and to create value for shareholders and our communities. We apply deep understanding of human biology and leverage different modalities to advance first-in-class treatments or therapies that deliver superior outcomes. Our approach is to take bold risks, balanced with return on investment, to deliver long-term growth. Biogen has been proudly serving Canadian patients for more than 25 years. For information about Biogen Canada, please visit . SOURCE Biogen Canada

NEW YORK, March 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Seelos Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: SEEL) ("Seelos"), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of therapies for central nervous system disorders and rare diseases, today provided an update on top-line data of the Phase 2/3 HEALEY ALS Platform trial. This study was performed in collaboration with The Sean M. Healey and AMG Center, which is viewed as an influential force in ALS research and in caring for the ALS community. Their unique and innovative approach continues to be a benefit to the ALS community and its contributions have helped bring the last two FDA approved therapies for ALS to market. We plan to request a meeting with the FDA to discuss potential next steps for the program The study was designed to evaluate SLS-005 (IV trehalose), a low molecular weight disaccharide that stabilizes misfolded proteins and activates autophagy, in decreasing the slope of the ALS Functional Rating Scale (ALSFRS-R) and separation from placebo in Function and Mortality in an all-comers population of Persons with ALS (PALS). While the study did not meet statistical significance in the primary and secondary endpoint in the Full Analysis Set (FAS)2, by showing a 13% improvement in Function and Mortality with an 88% success probability (versus the pre-specified 98%), it showed a potential signal of efficacy in a pre-specified subgroup (ERF)1. In the pre-specified subgroup of PALS treated with SLS-005, without RELYVRIO®, the top-line data favored SLS-005 versus placebo in efficacy measures in the Efficacy RELYVRIO® Free (ERF)1 data set (n=130), including: a 22% improvement in slope of change in ALSFRS-R assessment adjusted for mortality, with an 89% success probability, at 24 weeks the rate of decline in ALSFRS-R slope (points per month) also favored the SLS-005 treatment group versus placebo over 6 months (-0.80 and -1.07 points per month, respectively) a 25% slowing of Slow Vital Capacity (SVC) decline versus placebo (-11.5% for SLS-005 and -15.4% for placebo) at 24 weeks Additional analysis and information from these data accessible here. "The HEALEY platform is designed to detect signals of efficacy and we believe the observed signal and success probability is competitive to other recently FDA-approved therapies for ALS which also failed to achieve statistical significance when measured for function and mortality on similar primary and efficacy endpoints," said Raj Mehra Ph.D., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Seelos. "We plan to request a meeting with the FDA to discuss potential next steps for the program and will continue our potential partner discussions." Seelos has not yet received the full dataset and upon receiving it in the near future, Seelos plans to run additional analyses, including biomarkers of neurodegeneration, neurofilament light chain (NfL), exploratory efficacy results, subgroups and post-hoc analyses. SLS-005 was generally well-tolerated and comparable to placebo in safety. There was an imbalance of deaths/death equivalents observed in the study, with more events seen in the SLS-005 group compared to placebo, all were considered unrelated to the study drug. Populations – ERF1, FAS2 and ERO3: Seelos received top-line results for Regimen E (RGE). This included a Full Analysis Set (FAS), an Efficacy Regimen Only (ERO) population and an Efficacy RELYVRIO® Free (ERF) population. FAS includes shared placebo from all regimens, including RGE (n=204) and the RGE SLS-005 participants (n=120). The Efficacy Regimen Only (ERO) population includes 120 RGE SLS-005 and 41 RGE placebo participants. 31 participants in the ERO population received RELYVRIO® during the SLS-005 RGE study, thus confounding results from this population. The ERF analyses exclude participants who initiated RELYVRIO® during the study. ERF represents the participants who followed the protocol as envisioned (n=130, i.e., the ERF population comprises 81% of ERO/RGE participants). About SLS-005 (trehalose injection, 90.5 mg/mL for intravenous infusion) SLS-005 is a low molecular weight disaccharide (0.342 kDa) that crosses the blood brain barrier and is thought to stabilize proteins and activate autophagy through the activation of Transcription Factor EB (TFEB), a key factor in lysosomal and autophagy gene expression. The activation of TFEB is an emerging therapeutic target for a number of diseases with pathologic accumulation of storage material. In animal models of several diseases associated with abnormal cellular protein aggregation or storage of pathologic material, SLS-005 has been shown to reduce aggregation of misfolded proteins and reduce accumulation of pathologic material. SLS-005 has previously received Orphan Drug Designation for the treatment of ALS from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and from the European Medicines Agency in the EU. SLS-005 is an investigational treatment and is not currently approved by any health authority for medicinal use. About Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a group of rare neurological diseases that mainly involve the nerve cells (neurons) responsible for controlling voluntary muscle movement. In ALS, both the upper motor neurons and the lower motor neurons degenerate or die and stop sending messages to the muscles. Unable to function, the muscles gradually weaken, start to twitch (called fasciculations), and waste away (called atrophy). Eventually, the brain loses its ability to initiate and control voluntary movements. The disease is progressive, meaning the symptoms get worse over time. The majority of ALS cases (90 percent or more) are considered sporadic. This means the disease seems to occur at random with no clearly associated risk factors and no family history of the disease. Although family members of people with sporadic ALS are at an increased risk for the disease, the overall risk is very low, and most will not develop ALS. Most people with ALS eventually die from respiratory failure, usually within 3 to 5 years from when the symptoms first appear. However, about 10 percent of people with ALS survive for 10 or more years. Currently, there is no cure for ALS and no effective treatment to halt or reverse the progression of the disease. A 1-point change in the ALSFRS-R score can indicate a meaningful difference in a person's ability to function independently with activities of daily living (ADL's), including eating, bathing, dressing or walking.4 4. FDA Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, Application Number 209176Orig1s000, Office Director Memo, Ellis F. Unger, MD, May 4, 2017. Paganoni S, et al. New Eng J Med. 2020. About Seelos Therapeutics Seelos Therapeutics, Inc. is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and advancement of novel therapeutics to address unmet medical needs for the benefit of patients with central nervous system (CNS) disorders and other rare diseases. The Company's robust portfolio includes several late-stage clinical assets targeting indications including Acute Suicidal Ideation and Behavior (ASIB) in Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA), as well as early-stage programs in Huntington's disease, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease. For more information, please visit our website: , the content of which is not incorporated herein by reference. Forward Looking Statements Statements made in this press release, which are not historical in nature, constitute forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provided by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements include, among others, those regarding the Phase 2/3 study of SLS-005, statements regarding the competitiveness of the results to recently approved FDA therapies for ALS, statements regarding any planned meetings and discussions with the FDA, statements regarding The Sean M. Healey and AMG Center's contributions to the ALS community, statements regarding the timing of Seelos's receipt of the full dataset for the trial, statements regarding additional analyses to be run by Seelos and statements regarding SLS-005's prospects and any future analyses that may be conducted. These statements are based on Seelos' current expectations and beliefs and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. Risks associated with Seelos' business and plans described herein include, but are not limited to, the risk of not successfully executing its preclinical and clinical studies, not being able to move forward with the development of SLS-005, and not gaining marketing approvals for SLS-005 and/or its other product candidates; the risk that prior clinical results may not be replicated in future studies and trials (including the risk that the results from the prior studies of SLS-005 may not be replicated or may be materially different from the results of the top-line data from the SLS-005 study); the risks that clinical study results may not meet any or all endpoints of a clinical study and that any data generated from such studies may not support a regulatory submission or approval; the risks associated with the implementation of Seelos' business strategy; the risks related to raising capital to fund its development plans and ongoing operations; the risks related to Seelos' current stock price; as well as other factors expressed in Seelos' periodic filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in our forward-looking statements are reasonable, we do not know whether our expectations will prove correct. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof, even if subsequently made available by us on our website or otherwise. We do not undertake any obligation to update, amend or clarify these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws. Contact Information: Anthony Marciano Chief Communications Officer Seelos Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: SEEL) 300 Park Avenue, 2nd Floor New York, NY 10022 (646) 293-2136 anthony.marciano@seelostx.com Mike Moyer Managing Director LifeSci Advisors, LLC 250 West 55th St., Suite 3401 New York, NY 10019 (617) 308-4306 mmoyer@lifesciadvisors.com Company Codes: NASDAQ-NMS:SEEL