Benzinga | Dec 15, 2021 08:16AM EST

180 Life Sciences Enters Into License Agreement With University Of Oxford For Regenerative Molecule HMGB1 For Liver Diseases; Terms Not Disclosed

180 Life Sciences Corp. (NASDAQ:ATNF) ("180 Life Sciences" or the "Company"), a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on the development of novel drugs that fulfill unmet needs in inflammatory diseases, fibrosis and pain, today announced that it has entered into a new, exclusive global licensing agreement with The University of Oxford ("Oxford") for the development and commercialization of HMGB1, a regenerative molecule for promoting liver repair and regeneration. Under the terms of the transaction, the Company will pay Oxford a small one-time upfront license fee, which will have an insignificant impact on the 2022 expenditure rate; and any further payments are contingent upon the achievement of certain clinical, regulatory and sales milestones.



There is currently no approved therapeutic for limiting damage and fibrosis in patients with liver disorders such as Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis ("NASH"). 180 Life Sciences, through a collaboration led by Professor Jagdeep Nanchahal at the University of Oxford, is pursuing a program to identify novel therapeutic targets. The team has identified a physiological pathway, activated by the molecule HMGB1, that has been shown to lead to regeneration of tissues by targeting endogenous stem and progenitor cells. Together with the University of Oxford, the Company plans to proceed with scaling up and Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) production, as well as safety and toxicity testing in preparation for a planned Investigational New Drug (IND) application filing.

According to a 2016 article by Rinella, M.E. and A.J. Sanyal, entitled, "Management of NAFLD: a stage-based approach", published in the Naturel Reviews Gastroenterol Hepatol, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has emerged as the most common cause of chronic liver condition in the Western world, affecting 30% of the adult population in the USA and encompassing non-alcoholic fatty liver (NAFL) and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). NAFL and NASH each carries significant morbidity and mortality risks; 2-3% NAFL and 15-20% NASH patients progress to cirrhosis, with some developing hepatocellular carcinoma.

Dr. James Woody, CEO of 180 Life Sciences, commented, "Liver diseases represent a large unmet medical need. NASH is expected to become the principal indication for liver transplantation in the USA, with the attendant problems of immunosuppression and shortages of suitable donors. We believe an effective treatment that promotes regeneration and limits hepatocellular damage and fibrosis has the potential to revolutionize the management of patients."