October 12, 2022: Swiss company Stalicla SA has gained the lead asset SFX-01 of UK-based Evgen Pharma plc, a clinical-stage drug development company, via a licensing agreement. SFX-01 is used in neurodevelopmental disorders and schizophrenia.
Under the agreement, Stalicla will gain the global rights of SFX-01 as a potential treatment for autism spectrum disorder (ASD), while Evgen will retain SFX-01’s worldwide rights for all other indications.
Financials of the agreement
Evgen will receive an upfront payment of $0.5m, followed by another $0.5m after the conclusion of the completely financed Phase I study.
The company will also receive $26.5m in milestone payments, including $5m upon receipt of the investigational new drug (IND) from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which is expected late next year.
Evgen will receive $160.5m in total milestones.
Sulforaphanes benefits in ASD
Evgen’s partnership with Stalicla will enable the targeting of patient groups most likely to benefit from SFX-01, potentially bringing a therapeutic option for underserved patients in a quick and efficient manner.
Dr Huw Jones, Evgen CEO,said in a press statement: “This is an exciting opportunity to work with Stalicla to develop a potential treatment for ASD and other neuropsychiatric disorders. There are no currently approved treatments for ASD, but a molecular target activated by SFX-01 offers considerable promise in alleviating some of the complex behavioural challenges experienced by people with these conditions.”
He added that this partnership will be fruitful due to the promising clinical data for sulforaphane in this area in earlier studies. SFX-01 is a patented composition of synthetic sulforaphane and alpha-cyclodextrin.
Evgen’s own core technology is Sulforadex®, a method for synthesising and stabilising the naturally occurring compound sulforaphane Sulforaphanes have shown potential benefits in Neurodevelopmental disorders, oncology and inflammatory conditions.
Autism spectrum disorder is a group of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) currently diagnosed based on core behavioural features without specific biological criteria. Stalicla has identified several subgroups, or phenotypes, which the company targets through various treatment strategies.
