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This study will evaluate HCW9302 in patients with moderate to severe alopecia areata MIRAMAR, Fla., Feb. 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- HCW Biologics Inc. (“HCWB” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: HCWB), a U.S.-based clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing innovative immunotherapies to extend healthspan by targeting the link between chronic inflammation and disease, today announced that it has received clearance of its Investigational New Drug Application (“IND”) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) to initiate a first-in-human Phase 1 dose escalation clinical trial to evaluate one of its lead drug candidates, HCW9302, in patients with moderate-to-severe alopecia areata, a common autoimmune disease in humans that currently has no curative FDA approved treatments. Alopecia areata causes sudden hair loss and can have a significant negative impact on patients’ quality of life and psychological health. HCW9302 is an injectable, first-in-kind interleukin 2 (“IL-2”) fusion protein complex constructed using the Company’s proprietary TOBI platform technology. Its mechanism of action involves binding to IL-2αβγ receptors predominantly expressed on regulatory T (“Treg”) cells, thereby activating and expanding Treg cells that can suppress unwanted immune and inflammatory responses. Chronic inflammation is believed to be a significant contributing factor in many diseases and conditions including those that have a major impact on quality-of-life but are not life-threatening. In multiple relevant preclinical models, HCW9302 has shown efficacy in treating autoimmune diseases at well-tolerated dose levels by activating and expanding Treg cells through subcutaneous injections. Protein-based therapies, whether as direct inhibitors or immunomodulatory agents, have revolutionized the management of autoimmune and inflammatory conditions. The Company believes that HCW9302, with its subcutaneous injectable approach, has the potential to activate and expand Treg cells in patients, reducing inflammation, while minimizing the risk of broad immunosuppression. Dr. Hing C. Wong, Founder and CEO of HCW Biologics, commented, “The FDA’s clearance to initiate our first-in-human clinical trial for HCW9302 brings us one step closer to advancing a potentially transformative immunotherapeutic treatment of autoimmune diseases. This trial is a milestone for our Company, and the beginning of clinical development of treatments for quality-of-life indications. While not life-threatening, alopecia areata has no cure. Existing off-label treatments may provide some relief of symptoms, but there are often dangerous side effects. For those who suffer from this disease, it can negatively impact their quality-of-life.” Dr. Wong continued, “The goal of this initial trial is to establish the safe dose of HCW9302 that effectively increases Treg cells activity in patients. Once we achieve this objective, we will rapidly expand clinical development of HCW9302 in Phase 2 studies in patients with other autoimmune diseases and inflammatory conditions, including other dermatological conditions, graft rejection, arthrosclerosis, diabetes, and neurodegenerative diseases where HCW9302 has been shown to have activity in relevant animal models.” About Alopecia Areata: Alopecia areata (“AA”) is one of the most prevalent autoimmune diseases in the world, affecting approximately 1 in 1,000 people, with a lifetime incidence of 2% worldwide, or 160 million people. According to the National Alopecia Areata Foundation (NAAF), about 7 million people in the United States have alopecia areata. The condition primarily affects individuals under the age of 30, occurring at similar rates in both males and females. AA is characterized by hair loss in localized areas, the entire scalp, or, in some cases, the whole body. It occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks hair follicles, leading to hair loss without causing permanent damage to the follicles. Patients often experience recurring episodes of hair loss throughout their lives. Existing treatments, such as corticosteroids, immunotherapy, Janus kinase inhibitors, and topical solutions, focus on managing the severity and duration of episodes of hair loss. However, these therapies primarily address symptoms rather than providing a cure or consistent, long-term hair regrowth. Currently, there is no cure for alopecia areata. About HCW Biologics: HCW Biologics Inc. (NASDAQ: HCWB) is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing proprietary immunotherapies to treat diseases promoted by chronic inflammation, especially age-related and senescence-associated diseases. The Company’s immunotherapeutics represent a new class of drug that it believes have the potential to fundamentally change the treatment of cancer and many other diseases and conditions that are promoted by chronic inflammation — and in doing so, improve patients’ quality of life and possibly extend longevity. Chronic inflammation, including inflammaging, is believed to be a significant contributing factor to the cause for senescence-associated diseases and conditions that diminish healthspan, including many types of cancer, autoimmune diseases, and neurodegenerative diseases, as well as indications that impact quality-of-life that are not life-threatening. The Company’s lead product candidate, HCW9302, was developed using the Company’s legacy TOBI™ (Tissue factOr-Based fusIon) platform. The Company has created another drug discovery technology, the TRBC platform, which is not based on Tissue Factor. The TRBC platform has the capability to construct immunotherapeutics that not only activate and target immune responses but are also equipped with receptors that specifically target cancerous or infected cells. This platform is such a versatile scaffold that it enables the creation of multiple classes of immunotherapeutic compounds: Class I: Multi-Functional Immune Cell Stimulators; Class II: Second-Generation Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors; Class III: Multi-Specific Targeting Fusions and Enhanced Immune Cell Engagers. These novel immunotherapeutics can be used to treat a wide range of disease indications, including oncology, autoimmune diseases, and improving quality of life conditions. The Company has constructed over 30 molecules using the TRBC platform, including HCW11-002, HCW11-018 and HCW11-027. Further preclinical evaluation studies are currently being conducted for these three molecules the Company has selected based on promising early data. The Company has two licensing programs in which it has licensed exclusive rights for some of its proprietary molecules. See the Company Pipeline at https://hcwbiologics.com/pipeline/. Forward Looking Statements: Statements in this press release contain “forward-looking statements” that are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties. These statements are made under the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release may be identified by the use of words such as “anticipate,” “expect,” “believe,” “will,” “may,” “should,” “estimate,” “project,” “outlook,” “forecast” or other similar words and include, the Company’s ability to develop new immunotherapeutic treatments for auto-immune indications; the Company’s ability to enter into agreements with clinical sites to participate in the study; the successful initiation of a clinical trial; the Company’s ability to enroll the required number of patients for the study; that the clinical study will proceed with no adverse effects to any patients participating in the trial; that the study will not be put on a clinical hold by the FDA for any reason; and that the clinical study will reach its endpoints successfully; the efficacy of HCW9302 for autoimmune conditions; and the ability of HCW9302 to activate and regulate Treg cells in patients. Forward-looking statements are based on the Company’s current expectations and are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Further, certain forward-looking statements are based on assumptions as to future events that may not prove to be accurate. Factors that could cause actual results to differ include, but are not limited to, the risks and uncertainties that are described in the section titled “Risk Factors” in the annual report on Form 10-K/A filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on May 15, 2024, the latest Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on November 14, 2024, and in other filings filed from time to time with the SEC. Company Contact: Peter Rhode, PhD. Vice President of Clinical Operations and Chief Scientific Officer HCW Biologics Inc. peterrhode@hcwbiologics.com

SEATTLE--( BUSINESS WIRE )--Sound Pharmaceuticals is pleased to announce that the pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial involving SPI-1005, a novel anti-inflammatory compound (ebselen), for the treatment of Meniere’s Disease (STOPMD-3), achieved its co-primary endpoints for efficacy involving improvements in hearing loss and speech discrimination. Meniere’s disease (MD) is an inner ear disorder that involves fluctuating hearing loss and tinnitus, and episodic vertigo and/or dizziness. There are no FDA-approved medical treatments for MD, nor for the treatment of hearing loss, tinnitus, vertigo, or dizziness. SPI-1005 is an oral capsule containing 200 mg ebselen that has shown safety and efficacy in several Phase 2 clinical trials involving multiple hearing loss and tinnitus indications including MD. STOPMD-3 enrolled adult subjects (N=221) with a history of definite MD and active symptoms into a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial (RCT) in which subjects received 28 days of either SPI-1005 (400 mg twice daily) or placebo treatment with monthly follow-up assessments of auditory and vestibular function through 84 days. Compliant patients could immediately enter an open label extension (OLE) of SPI-1005 treatment for up to 12 months. During OLE, subjects continued to receive SPI-1005 and had their auditory and vestibular function reassessed every 3 months. In both the intent-to-treat and per-protocol RCT analysis, the SPI-1005 group showed higher rates of improvement in low frequency hearing loss (≥10 dB gain at one low frequency from baseline) using pure-tone audiometry (LFPTA) and speech discrimination (≥4-word increase from baseline) using the words-in-noise (WIN) test than the placebo group at day 28, 56, and 84 of follow-up. On day 84, the SPI-1005 group showed a significant rate of LFPTA improvement over placebo (57.9% vs 36.5%, an increase of 58.6% over placebo, p-value=0.0037). When LFPTA criteria were increased to require a ≥10 dB gain at two adjacent low frequencies from baseline, the SPI-1005 group showed a significant rate of improvement of 204.4% over placebo (41.1% vs 13.5%, p-value <0.0001). On day 84, the SPI-1005 group showed a significant rate of WIN improvement of 54.4% over placebo (42.1% vs. 27.1%, p=0.0336). During OLE, responder rates involving LFPTA and WIN continued to improve, and patient reported outcome measures for tinnitus, vertigo, aural fullness, and dizziness severity all improved significantly from baseline (≥30% on average, p-value <0.001). “We would like to thank all of our investigators and study participants for contributing to this pivotal Phase 3 trial success involving SPI-1005,” said Dr. Jonathan Kil, MD, CEO of Sound Pharmaceuticals. A presentation of the full RCT/OLE data analysis as well as additional post-hoc analysis will occur at the Association for Research in Otolaryngology Midwinter Meeting in Orlando FL, February 22-26. About Meniere’s Disease (MD) MD is diagnosed by episodic vertigo or dizziness, fluctuating low frequency hearing loss, and intermittent or constant tinnitus, and is thought to be due to a swelling of the inner ear involving the endolymphatic duct. Patients are typically diagnosed between 40-65 years of age, and the auditory symptoms of hearing loss and tinnitus often involve only one ear. Some patients experience aural fullness or pressure in the affected ear that can also contribute to dizziness. As patients age, the hearing loss and tinnitus become worse resulting in severe to profound hearing loss and intractable tinnitus. For the definite diagnosis of MD, the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery guidance requires audiometric documentation of low frequency hearing loss (i.e., ≥30 dB) in at least one ear using pure tone audiometry. Loss of speech discrimination, especially in noisy environments or when tinnitus is present, is common in MD and other forms of sensorineural hearing loss. MD is currently managed with low salt diets, thiazide diuretics, and oral or locally injected steroids. Unfortunately, this standard of care has not proven effective and is not FDA-approved for the treatment of MD. About the STOPMD-3 trial STOPMD-3 screened 254 participants for eligibility at 11 sites, including some of the leading academic centers in the US. Eligible participants (221) were randomized to either SPI-1005 treatment (400 mg twice daily for 28 days) or matching placebo treatment and followed up to day 84. 201 participants continued on to SPI-1005 OLE for 1-6-months (153 completed) and 107 participants continued on to 7-12-months (82 completed). To our knowledge, STOPMD-3 is the longest continuous treatment trial involving an investigational new drug ever completed for a hearing loss or tinnitus indication including MD. STOPMD-3 was led by Dr. Paul Lambert, Distinguished University Professor and Chair Emeritus of the Dept. of Otolaryngology-HNS at MUSC in Charleston, SC, and the past President of the American Neurotologic Society. Dr. Lambert, Dr. Shaun Nguyen, director of clinical trial research in the Dept. of Otolaryngology-HNS at MUSC, and their colleagues also led the successful Phase 2b RCT involving SPI-1005 and MD patients. About SPI-1005 SPI-1005 is an investigational new drug that contains ebselen, a new chemical entity. Ebselen is a selenorganic compound that mimics and induces glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity and is effective in reducing neuroinflammation across the central and peripheral nervous system. GPx activity is critical to several cell types and tissues in the inner ear, retina, prefrontal cortex of brain, lung, and kidney, and is often reduced during exposures to environmental insults or aging. Loss of GPx activity has been shown to result in sensorineural hearing loss in multiple animal models. SPI-1005 is being developed for several neurotologic indications including noise-induced hearing loss and two types of ototoxicity (hearing loss, tinnitus, dizziness, or vertigo) caused by aminoglycoside antibiotics (such as tobramycin or amikacin) or platinum-based chemotherapy (such as cisplatin or carboplatin). To date, no significant drug-drug interactions have been observed across multiple study populations including bipolar mania and treatment-resistant depression. About Sound Pharmaceuticals A privately-held biotechnology company is testing SPI-1005 under five other active Investigational New Drug Applications involving several neurotologic indications including the prevention and treatment of aminoglycoside-induced ototoxicity co-funded by the CF Foundation and hearing preservation in cochlear implant patients co-funded by MED-EL. Details of the SPI-1005 clinical trials can be viewed online at www.clinicaltrials.gov or www.soundpharma.com . Please contact info@soundpharma.com for further information.