Dogwood Therapeutics Secures Exclusive Worldwide, Royalty Free License to Develop and Commercialize SP16 as a Treatment for Cancer Related Pain in an All-Stock Transaction Underscoring the Company’s Dedication to Improving the Lives of Cancer Patients

-A first-in-class LRP1 agonist, SP16 phase 1b Chemotherapy Induced Neuropathy (CIPN) Study fully funded by the National Cancer Institute, with projected patient enrollment beginning in the first half of 2026-

-SP16 has demonstrated both anti-inflammatory and neural repair activity that has the potential to treat CIPN, synergistically complementing Halneuron, the Company’s late stage Na_V1.7 inhibitor, which has demonstrated significant pain reduction in previous Phase 2 studies-

-Webcast today, September 29, 2025, at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time-

ATLANTA, Sept. 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Dogwood Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: DWTX) (“Dogwood” or the “Company”), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing new medicines to treat pain and neuropathy, today announced that in an all-stock transaction, it has secured a royalty free, global license to develop Serpin Pharma’s intravenous (IV) formulation of SP16 to manage cancer related pain (CRP) including a broad range of chemotherapy induced neuropathy symptoms.

Serpin Pharma has discovered the active portion of A1AT responsible for both the anti-inflammatory (analgesic) activity as well as tissue repair, and this active portion is represented by SP16. SP16 is a first-in-class LRP1 agonist which has demonstrated both anti-inflammatory and neural repair activity that has the potential to treat chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN). SP16 IV is the focus of a forthcoming Phase 1b CIPN study that is fully funded by the National Cancer Institute, reflecting the uniqueness of this approach, as well as the extraordinary unmet medical need associated with this debilitating cancer-related condition.

“The SP16 in-license aligns with our strategic objective of expanding our research pipeline in an area where Dogwood’s pain and neuropathy management research expertise can add value to both the asset increasing our equity value for shareholders,” said Greg Duncan, Dogwood Therapeutics Chief Executive Officer. “The National Cancer Institute’s funding of the SP16 IV Phase 1b program obviates the need to use our existing capital in the near-term to advance SP16 into clinical development.”

SP16 IV mimics the activity of alpha-1-antitrypsin’s (A1AT) anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory actions. In preclinical research, SP16 has demonstrated anti-inflammatory and analgesic benefits, as well as neural restorative and repair activity, both of which hold promise for addressing the multitude of symptoms and damage and functional complication of CIPN.