St George Street Capital, a UK-based biomedical charity, and Excalibur Medicines Ltd., a biotechnology investment company, are pleased to announce the completion of the Clinical Study Report from the ARCADIA Phase ll clinical trial which was conducted to assess a therapy that could treat diabetic patients suffering from COVID-19.
St George Street Capital and Excalibur are now undertaking commercial discussions with potential licensees and partners, and examining options for the next stage of the development and approval process. Further analysis to determine the precise nature of the biological effects of AZD1656 that explain the observed clinical outcomes will also be conducted.
The finalisation of the CSR formally marks the end of the ARCADIA trial. The trial data has shown the following:
Efficacy: A strong trend towards reduced mortality in patients receiving AZD1656. The strong trend to improved mortality for patients on AZD1656 was observed on top of patients receiving other medication, including dexamethasone, as part of standard of care.
Safety and tolerability: AZD1656 was shown to be well-tolerated in this patient population with no serious adverse reactions (SARs) occurring. Overall, no safety concerns were identified regarding the use of AZD1656 in this patient population.
Diabetes, whether type 1 or 2, has been the leading single cause of co-morbidity during the pandemic and one in three of all deaths with COVID-19 in hospital in England have been associated with diabetes.
Professor John Martin of UCL, Chairman of St George Street Capital and PI on the Innovate UK grant awarded said: “The completion of the Clinical Study Report is a major milestone and we are encouraged by the trial findings which indicate that AZD1656, a simple oral tablet, has the potential to become a new treatment for COVID-19 – independent of viral mutations – initiating a new wave of therapies for clinicians in meeting this global challenge.”
Professor Sir Chris Evans, chairman and CEO of Excalibur Healthcare Services, the parent company of Excalibur Medicines Ltd., said: “We are delighted to have played our part arranging this trial and this report confirms the great potential of AZD1656 to help people who remain vulnerable to COVID-19.”
Notes to editors:
About the ARCADIA Trial
AZD1656 was identified by St George Street Capital as a potential treatment for people with diabetes infected with COVID-19.
The objectives of the ARCADIA clinical trial were to assess the safety and tolerability of a glucose kinase activator, AZD1656, and to determine the effect of the therapy on clinical improvement and mortality in people with diabetes hospitalised with COVID-19. The trial also explored whether AZD1656 benefits COVID-19 patients via its effects on immune function.
ARCADIA was a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase II clinical trial involving 153 patients. ARCADIA was funded by international investment through Excalibur Medicines Ltd, including the Mubadala Sovereign Wealth Fund and an HM Government grant through the UKRI/Innovate UK programme.
About St George Street Capital
St George Street is a biomedical research charity on a mission to fast-track clinical trials so we can get new treatments as quickly as possible to the people who need them. We apply bold new thinking to unlock the therapeutic potential of therapies and science currently sitting on the shelf in pharma. We are a new type of charity, sourcing investment to accelerate clinical trials, where new science shows great potential and where patients and clinicians are calling out for treatments. St George Street was established in 2017 and brings together a powerful mix of expertise, from investors and business managers to clinic.
About Excalibur Medicines Ltd
Excalibur Medicines Ltd (EML) is a subsidiary of Excalibur Healthcare Services, founded by leading scientific entrepreneur, Professor Sir Chris Evans, OBE. EML brought together the scientific intellectual property, international funding and a world leading team to take forward the ARCADIA trial. Professor Evans and the Excalibur team sourced investment from Mubadala of Abu Dhabi, one of the world’s leading sovereign wealth funds, Excalibur itself, Chlodwig Enterprises, an international ESG investment company with a particular focus on life sciences and positive impact investments and several high net worth individuals.
Further information: Excalibur Medicines Ltd: Ramsay Smith, Media House International. 07788414856 ramsay@mediahouse.co.uk