Healthy living for patients with chronic condition
Imagine breathing through a straw for the rest of your life – and then get a cold.
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is the third leading cause of death in the world(*). Exacerbations or flare-ups caused by bacterial and viral infections (present in 56% of all cases) in COPD patients are the major cause of complications, hospitalisations and death. Today there are no effective treatments that directly address the source of these complications. MA001 may be the answer.
(*) COPD affects more than 390 million people in the world with more than 3 million deaths every year. COPD is a multifactorial chronic condition characterized by airflow limitation, chronic inflammation in the lungs and structural changes to the airways.
MA001 is a sustainably produced sulphated polysaccharide, being developed as an inhaled medication.
MA001 aims to act at local level by reducing lung inflammation, leading to lung function improvement, and by reducing viral infections linked to exacerbations that causes complications and disease progression.
Reduction of exacerbations and disease progression together with low cost of production has the potential to bring socio-economic impact to a larger population. In addition, its anti-inflammatory effect means that it could reduce the intake of other drugs like corticosteroids, linked to increase risk of pneumonia.
MA001 at work
MicroA’s MA001 has demonstrated, in animal models, potent antiviral effect at 10x lower concentration than standard of care, Ribavirin, and clear anti-inflammatory effect at similar reduction levels than standard of care, Roflumilast. MA001 did not trigger any safety concerns in the tests carried out to date.
These clear effects, will allow MA001 to address chronic inflammation that cause damage to the lungs and prevent opportunistic infections in more susceptible individuals suffering from COPD.
Addressing patients’ and clinicians’ needs
Thanks to its multimodal mechanism of action and expected safety profile, MA001 could help COPD patients, especially those at risk of exacerbations, improve their prognosis and lung function.
MA001 has the potential to complement current maintenance therapy treatments, like bronchodilators, whilst reducing the intake of drugs that have shown negative side effects and are potentially linked to complications.
Comparative treatments
| Preventative of infections | Reduce chronic inflammation | Improve lung function | Reduce number of exacerbations | Side Effects in long term use | |
| Vaccines (*) |  | | |||
| Bronchodilators |  |  |
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| Corticosteroids (**) |  | |  |
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| PDE inhibitors | | | | |
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| MA001 (potential) | | | | |  |
| (*) Pathogen specific vs broad spectrum of MA001 (**) Use of Corticosteroids in long-term therapies could lead to an increased risk of developing pneumonia |
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Multi-functional drug substance
MA001 is a multi-functional drug substance with potent combined anti-viral and anti-inflammatory properties that aims to restore immune balance and reduce risk of all type of exacerbations in COPD patients.
- Broad spectrum anti-viral even at low concentrations
- Anti-inflammatory levels at par to gold standard PDE inhibitors
- Anti-enzymatic action protecting degradation of lungs
- Reduce infiltration and activation of immune cells damaging the lungs
MA001 effect
Inhibit/ kill the virus/ block inflammation cascade
Reduce signaling that triggers damaging immune response
Reduce the infiltration of immune cells that will be responsible for damaging the lungs
Block molecules responsible of activation of immune cells
Inhibit enzymes from the immune cells that damage the lungs
Chronic conditions remain the largest economic cost and burden to society requiring new and innovative treatments
Globally, one in three adults lives with more than one chronic condition, including 545 million with a respiratory chronic condition.
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a growing multifactorial respiratory condition affecting 390 million individuals and causing 3.23 million deaths in 2019 mostly occurring in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC).
Main healthcare cost of the condition, $49bn in healthcare with $18.1Bn in medication (US alone) is driven by exacerbations mainly caused by viral infection (present in 56% of cases).
Heading #1 | Heading #2 |
|---|---|
Need | Viral infections in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) patients are driving progression and severity of disease. |
Technology | MA001 with its unique combinational anti-inflammatory and antiviral effect is the first-in-class topical drug able to reduce inflammation in the lungs and prevent viral infections that aggravates the condition. *** |
Management | Team with extensive experience from drug development, preclinical and clinical research, manufacture of commercial pharmaceuticals, regulatory affairs, and managerial experience at executive level including licensing and M&A. |
Production | Proprietary industrial fermentation manufacturing process securing batch-to-batch consistency.
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In summary
There is a big unmet medical need in a growing population of patients suffering from COPD.
MA001 could transform the way we treat COPD patients by combining the preventative and therapeutic effect in one safe molecule.
The combinational antiviral and anti-inflammatory effect promises to become a very efficient treatment of COPD by reducing chronic inflammation of the lungs and frequency of opportunistic viral infections.
Thanks to the innovative combinational properties of MA001 and the multifactorial effect of chronic conditions, we are able to bring exponential benefit to help patients and clinicians manage the condition.
The production team
Kariann Fotland
Kate Iren Byberg
Kjetil Johnsen Hauge
The managerial and development team
Rune Haddeland
- Industry professional with broad executive experience within O&G industry including comprehensive M&A experience
- Strong track record in building profitable mature businesses, from scale-up to high multiple exit in Quickflange AS. Instrumental in WellConnection’s growth through acquisitions
Dr. Enrique Tabares
- Scientific research, venture capital and management with focus on early stage biotech. Successfully negotiated and licensing assets at Phase II clinical stage to Chinese State
company SinoPharm - MSc and PhD in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, MBA from Oxford University
Dr. Claire Moss
Expertise focus on the field of glycobiology including discovery , characterisation and commercialisation of natural polysaccharides
Strong network of business and academic contacts within Europe in field of glycobiology, microalgal research and natural products
Dr. Rolf Myrvold
Entrepreneur & Inventor with more than 25 years of experience from API and drug product development and manufacture including preclinical and clinical trials. Strong track record in development and design of new pharmaceutical products and new processing solutions
Professor Clive Page
- Founder and advisor to more than 10 companies. Co-founder and former Chairman of $1.7Bn listed company Verona Pharma (COPD focus)
- Author of over 250 scientific publications. Research interests are in the pharmacology of inflammation and respiratory disease
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