AB Science

The clinical development of masitinib in sickle cell disease is among the 19 winning projects under the sixth call for “Hospital-Inuversity Research in health (RHU)”

PRESS RELEASE

THE CLINICAL DEVELOPMENT OF MASITINIB IN SICKLE CELL DISEASE, A HIGHLY PREVALENT GENETIC CONDITION, IS AMONG THE 19 WINNING PROJECTS UNDER THE SIXTH CALL FOR "HOSPITAL-UNIVERSITY RESEARCH IN HEALTH (RHU)".

THIS PROGRAM WILL FUND A MASITINIB PHASE 2 CLINICAL TRIAL

AB SCIENCE WILL HOLD A WEBCAST ON THIS RESEARCH PROGRAM ON THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2023, FROM 3PM TO 4PM CET

Paris, November 27, 2023, 8am CET

AB Science SA (Euronext - FR0010557264 - AB) announces today that a new clinical development program for masitinib in sickle cell disease is among the 19 winning projects to be funded under the sixth call for "Hospital-University Research in Health" (Recherche Hospitalo-Universitaire en santé) projects, which is part of the Future Investments Program.

The "Hospital-University Research in Health" (RHU) call for projects of the Future Investments Program, operated by the National Research Agency, aims to support innovative and large-scale research projects in the field of health. Focused on translational research, i.e., converting results in basic research into results that directly benefit humans, RHU projects involve academic, hospital, and business stakeholders.

For this sixth wave, an international jury reviewed 62 applications based on criteria of scientific quality, innovation, and potential for medical and socio-economic impact. It proposed to select and fund 19 projects covering various therapeutic areas and medical needs. These 19 projects will receive an exceptional grant of 160 million euros from the Future Investments Program.

As part of this call for projects, the SICKMAST project, funded with 9.2 million euros, aims to:

• First, identify and validate, from a database of 1500 patients (including 700 already identified), biomarkers highlighting the role of mast cells and basophils in orchestrating acute and chronic complications of sickle cell disease.
• Second, demonstrate in a phase 2 clinical trial the efficacy of masitinib in the treatment of acute and chronic complications of sickle cell disease in patients identified based on biomarkers.

The Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP) will be the promoter of these phase 2 studies. AB Science will mainly be involved in supplying masitinib and monitoring masitinib pharmacovigilance data. AB Science remains free to carry out, as it sees fit, any potential phase 3 development following the success of phase 2.