Conduit Pharmaceuticals Partners with Charles River in Clinically Relevant Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Model
Rhea-AI Summary
Conduit Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: CDT) has announced a partnership with Charles River Laboratories to evaluate its lead compound AZD1656 in a pre-clinical Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) model. The collaboration aims to generate high-quality preclinical data to optimize the development pathway for autoimmune treatments, particularly focusing on SLE and Lupus Nephritis (LN).
The study will assess drug impact on disease progression, inflammatory markers, and pro-inflammatory cytokine levels to understand effects on Treg immunoregulation. By leveraging Charles River's expertise in immunology and preclinical research, Conduit aims to enhance predictability of clinical outcomes and increase efficiency of planned Phase II trials.
This strategic partnership is expected to provide essential data to inform and de-risk future clinical trials, potentially reducing development timelines and maximizing AZD1656's therapeutic potential while strengthening opportunities for out-licensing.
Positive
- Partnership with leading drug development company Charles River Laboratories enhances research capabilities
- Study results could de-risk and optimize future Phase II clinical trials
- Potential to reduce development timelines and costs
- Strategic positioning for out-licensing opportunities
Negative
- Still in early pre-clinical stage for lupus indication
- No guaranteed success in clinical trials despite preclinical research
Insights
This strategic partnership represents a important de-risking step for Conduit Pharmaceuticals' lead program. Charles River's expertise in immunology and preclinical research is particularly valuable in the complex landscape of lupus drug development, where many candidates have historically failed due to poor translation from preclinical to clinical studies.
The collaboration's focus on generating high-quality preclinical data is strategically significant for several reasons:
- The global lupus therapeutics market, valued at approximately
2.5 billion , is projected to grow significantly due to increasing prevalence and unmet medical needs - By optimizing study parameters before Phase II trials, Conduit could potentially reduce development costs and accelerate time-to-market
- The comprehensive evaluation of inflammatory markers and cytokine levels will provide valuable biomarker data, which is important for demonstrating efficacy in autoimmune conditions
- This approach could enhance the company's position in potential licensing discussions, as pharmaceutical partners typically value robust preclinical data packages
The focus on Treg immunoregulation is particularly noteworthy, as this mechanism has shown promise in autoimmune conditions but requires careful validation. The partnership with Charles River, known for its sophisticated immunology models, suggests a methodical approach to understanding AZD1656's mechanism of action.
For investors, this development indicates careful capital allocation and risk management in Conduit's development strategy. The company is prioritizing data quality and development efficiency over speed, which could ultimately lead to better outcomes in the capital-intensive clinical trial phase.
- Conduit Pharmaceuticals partners with Charles River to evaluate the efficacy of its lead programme in a pre-clinical lupus model, utilizing Charles River’s immunology expertise to refine study parameters and improve probability of successful Phase II clinical trial outcomes.
- The study aims to accelerate the development of AZD1656 (and its derivatives), for autoimmune disorders, with a focus on Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) and Lupus Nephritis (LN).
NAPLES, Fla. and CAMBRIDGE, United Kingdom, Feb. 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Conduit Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Nasdaq: CDT) (“Conduit” or the “Company”), is pleased to announce an agreement with Charles River Laboratories Inc (“Charles River”) to evaluate AZD1656 (and its derivatives) in a clinically relevant Systemic Lupus Erythematosus model. This collaboration highlights Conduit’s focus on generating high-quality preclinical data to optimize the development pathway for its clinical program in auto-immune and position itself for success in its upcoming Phase II clinical trials.
Conduit will leverage Charles River’s expertise in immunology and preclinical research to refine study parameters and generate robust data to evaluate the efficacy of its lead compound. By conducting this comprehensive study, Conduit aims to enhance the predictability of clinical outcomes, increase the efficiency of its planned Phase II trials, and ultimately improve the likelihood of success for AZD1656 as a potential treatment for autoimmune disorders.
This study is a critical step in Conduit’s development strategy, as it is expected to provide essential data to inform and de-risk future clinical trials. The primary aim is to better understand the impact of drug on disease progression in a lupus model, assessed by typical disease progression readouts. Furthermore, the study will gather data on the effect of the drug on inflammatory markers and pro-inflammatory cytokine levels to understand how the drug impacts Treg immunoregulation.
By generating this data early in the development process, Conduit aims to optimize its Phase II trials, by reducing development timelines and maximizing the therapeutic potential of AZD1656. This will strengthen the scientific foundation for Conduit’s primary asset but also enhance the value for potential out-licensing opportunities.
“We are excited to collaborate with Charles River, a global leader in drug discovery and early-stage drug development. Their expertise in immunology and research will provide Conduit with critical insights and allow us to refine our study design, improve the quality of our data, and ultimately increase the likelihood of clinical success,” said Dr. David Tapolczay, Chief Executive Officer of Conduit.
About Conduit Pharmaceuticals
Conduit is a dynamic, multi-asset clinical stage, life science company delivering an efficient model for compound development. Conduit both acquires and funds the development of Phase 2-ready assets, building an integrated and advanced platform-driven approach powered by artificial intelligence and cybernetics, and seeking an exit through third-party license deals following successful clinical trials. Led by a highly experienced team of pharmaceutical executives including Dr. David Tapolczay and Dr. Freda Lewis-Hall, this novel approach is a departure from the traditional pharma/biotech business model of taking assets through regulatory approval.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this press release, including statements regarding Conduit's future results of operations and financial position, Conduit's business strategy, prospective product candidates, product approvals, research and development costs, timing and likelihood of success, plans and objectives of management for future operations, future results of current and anticipated studies and business endeavors with third parties, and future results of current and anticipated product candidates, are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words "believe," "project," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "intend," "strategy," "future," "opportunity," "plan," "may," "should," "will," "would," "will be," "will continue," "will likely result," and similar expressions. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including, but not limited to; the inability to maintain the listing of Conduit's securities on Nasdaq; the ability to recognize the anticipated benefits of the business combination completed in September 2023, which may be affected by, among other things, competition; the ability of the combined company to grow and manage growth economically and hire and retain key employees; the risks that Conduit's product candidates in development fail clinical trials or are not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or other applicable authorities on a timely basis or at all; changes in applicable laws or regulations; the possibility that Conduit may be adversely affected by other economic, business, and/or competitive factors; and other risks as identified in filings made by Conduit with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Moreover, Conduit operates in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. Because forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, some of which cannot be predicted or quantified and some of which are beyond Conduit's control, you should not rely on these forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and except as required by law, Conduit assumes no obligation and does not intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Conduit gives no assurance that it will achieve its expectations.
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FAQ
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