Qu Biologics Receives Accelerating Clinical Trial (ACT) Funding for PERIOP-06 Clinical Trial

BURNABY, British Columbia, Nov. 14, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Qu Biologics Inc., a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing Site Specific Immunomodulators (SSIs), a novel platform of immunotherapies designed to restore innate immune function, is pleased to announce that its Phase 2 clinical trial in late-stage colon cancer, PERIOP-06, was awarded CAD$400,000 in grant funding by the Accelerating Clinical Trial (ACT) Canadian Consortium. ACT was founded in 2022 and is funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Clinical Trials Fund to support clinical trials across Canada. ACT’s mission is to accelerate, optimize, and facilitate the conduct, implementation, and results translation from high-quality, high impact, randomized controlled trials to improve health in Canada and around the world. ACT brings together hundreds of researchers from 28 networks, 11 trial units, patient-partners, the biotechnology industry, government, and research ethics experts from across Canada.

PERIOP-06 is a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study to assess the effectiveness of QBECO SSI in relieving post-operative immune suppression and improving survival in patients undergoing surgery for late-stage colon cancer. PERIOP-06 was chosen by a committee of 10 Canadian experts in clinical research for its high scientific value and potential for positive impact on patient outcomes and technological advancement. It was one of only three clinical trials in Canada anticipated to receive this funding in a very competitive process. Committee members commented on the well-established credibility of the collaborators involved in the PERIOP-06 study, the compelling potential of QBECO SSI to achieve study endpoints, and the potential for the novel SSI approach to manage an important, unmet medical need. Dr. Simon Sutcliffe, Qu Biologics’ Chief Medical Officer (Oncology), commented, “We are very pleased to receive this funding from ACT – it is a testament to the transformative potential of Qu’s QBECO SSI therapy in preventing post-operative immune suppression and improving survival after cancer surgery.”

The PERIOP-06 trial is being conducted in partnership with Principal Investigators Dr. Rebecca Auer from the Ottawa Hospital Research Hospital Institute, a leader in the field of post-operative immune suppression, and Dr. Paul Karanicolas, a leading hepatobiliary oncology surgeon from Sunnybrook Hospital, as well as clinical investigators from other cancer centres in Canada. Dr. Auer stated, “The additional funding from ACT will help us understand the biological underpinnings of surgery-induced immune suppression and the potential of training the immune system with QBECO SSI to prevent it. These correlative studies will establish a mechanistic link between postoperative immune response and cancer outcomes, paving the way for future studies of perioperative cancer immunotherapies.”

Qu Biologics wishes to thank ACT and the ACT review committee for their support of this promising clinical trial.

For more information about Qu Biologics and the science behind SSIs, please visit www.qubiologics.com.

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About Qu Biologics
Qu Biologics is a clinical stage biotechnology company developing Site Specific Immunomodulators (SSI), a novel class of immunotherapies designed to restore innate immune function in targeted organs to reverse the immune dysregulation underlying many important diseases including cancer, chronic inflammatory diseases, and infection. Qu Biologics has completed four Phase 2 studies in lung cancer, Crohn’s disease, and ulcerative colitis. Two additional Phase 2 randomized placebo-controlled studies, in late-stage colon cancer and immunosenescence, have received regulatory and ethics approval and are currently underway.

Backed by a prestigious group of scientific advisors and board members, Qu Biologics is led by a management team that includes co-founder and CEO Dr. Hal Gunn, a physician and expert on the body’s immune response to chronic disease; Chief Medical Officer – Oncology Dr. Simon Sutcliffe, former CEO of the BC Cancer Agency and a distinguished clinician, scientist and leader in cancer control in Canada and internationally; Chief Medical Officer – Infectious Disease Dr. Ted Steiner, a clinician-scientist specializing in immune responses to infections and Head of the UBC Division of Infectious Diseases; and Chief Business Officer Andrew Rae, a seasoned biopharmaceutical industry executive with knowledgeable experience in fundraising, Pharma partnerships, and business development. For more information, please visit www.qubiologics.com.

For more information regarding this press release, contact:

Hal Gunn, MD
CEO
Qu Biologics Inc.
Phone: 604.734.1450
Email: media@qubiologics.com

Qu Biologics Inc. cautions you that statements included in this press release that are not a description of historical facts may be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are only predictions based upon current expectations and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of release of the relevant information, unless explicitly stated otherwise. Actual results, performance or achievement could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, Qu Biologics’ forward-looking statements due to the risks and uncertainties inherent in Qu Biologics’ business including, without limitation, statements about: the progress and timing of its clinical trials; difficulties or delays in development, testing, obtaining regulatory approval, producing and marketing its products; unexpected adverse side effects or inadequate therapeutic efficacy of its products that could delay or prevent product development or commercialization; the scope and validity of patent protection for its products; competition from other pharmaceutical or biotechnology companies; and its ability to obtain additional financing to support its operations. Qu Biologics does not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements except as required by law.