Red Queen Therapeutics Announces Expanded Licensing Agreement, Progress in Its Pan-Influenza Program
Expanded agreement with Dana-Farber Cancer Institute enables further acceleration of Red Queen program in SARS-CoV-2 and advanced delivery options
Red Queen also has filed patents covering its novel pan-influenza treatment, for which the company plans to begin IND-enabling studies in early 2025
BOSTON, Mass., Dec. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Red Queen Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotechnology company applying a proprietary stapled lipopeptide technology to develop new treatments for COVID-19, influenzas, and other viral illnesses, today announced the expansion of its exclusive licensing agreement with Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. The new amendment to the original agreement, under which Dana-Farber grants Red Queen exclusive license to stapled lipopeptide COVID-19 therapeutics, incorporates additional exclusive patent rights covering RSV therapeutics and advanced formulation approaches.
“We are pleased to expand our agreement with Dana-Farber Cancer Institute as we prepare for our Phase 2 clinical trial of a potential new treatment for immunocompromised COVID patients, and as we advance our programs in other areas including RSV and influenza,” said Mark Mitchnick, M.D., CEO at Red Queen Therapeutics and a venture partner at Apple Tree Partners (ATP). “We are grateful to the team at Dana-Farber and look forward to continuing our productive relationship and partnership to deliver life-saving new therapeutic options to people at heightened risk from these viral infections.”
Red Queen was co-founded in 2021 by ATP and Loren Walensky, Ph.D., a physician-scientist and practicing oncologist at Dana-Farber whose pioneering research into stapled lipopeptides forms the basis of Red Queen’s proprietary technology platform. Red Queen stapled lipopeptides inhibit viral fusion to host cell membranes, preventing viral entry and subsequent progression of viral infection and disease. Because they target highly conserved mechanisms of viral fusion, Red Queen’s stapled lipopeptides are designed for use across entire viral families and pose a significant barrier to emergence of resistance, compared to approaches such as monoclonal antibodies. And because of their unique mechanism of action and exceptional safety profile, these peptide therapeutics are well-suited for treatment of immunocompromised people.
Results from the company’s Phase 1 trial of its lead program RQ-01 in low-risk patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 demonstrated a placebo-like safety profile, no systemic absorption, and early signals of efficacy across the multiple variants that infected patients despite the majority of them having had prior vaccination and/or natural infection. Based on these results, Red Queen has been working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on a clinical development/registration plan for RQ-01 focused on treatment in combination with standard-of-care therapy, including antivirals, in high-risk immunocompromised patients.
Beyond programs in SARS-CoV-2 and RSV, Red Queen is advancing multiple programs to combat other viral infections, including a pan-influenza program, partially supported under a BARDA contract, for which the company will soon be commencing preclinical studies for its lead compound. Data readouts for the pan-influenza program are anticipated in mid-2025.
“We are excited by the results we have seen, in the lab and in our proof-of-concept clinical trial, that bear out the promise of our innovative scientific approach. We believe that Red Queen’s stapled lipopeptide platform has broad versatility and applicability to tackle nearly any human illness caused by enveloped viruses, from influenzas to tropical diseases and more,” said Paul Da Silva Jardine, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer at Red Queen Therapeutics and a venture partner at ATP.
About Red Queen Therapeutics
Red Queen Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotechnology company co-founded by Apple Tree Partners (ATP) and biomedical researcher Loren Walensky, M.D., Ph.D., is applying its proprietary stapled lipopeptide technology to develop and deliver new treatments for a broad range of viruses, including coronaviruses, influenzas, and other enveloped viruses. The Red Queen platform mechanism of action, fusion inhibition, is a mode of early intervention that can prevent or mitigate viral infection, enabling accelerated viral clearance and avoidance of severe disease. Because Red Queen therapies target the highly conserved mechanism of viral fusion, they can be used across entire viral families and their variants. And because Red Queen’s agents do not depend upon immune system activation, they offer instantaneous protection and are particularly suitable for use by immunocompromised people. Red Queen’s stapled lipopeptide therapeutics are also designed to be shelf-stable at room temperature and can be formulated and delivered in multiple ways, including topically by nasal spray or inhaler, or systematically by injection. For more information, visit redqueentx.com.
Media contact: Sally Jacob / sjacob@appletreepartners.com