Ainos Announced Plan to Initiate Taiwan Clinical Study of VELDONA for Treating Sjögren’s Syndrome, a Rare Disease With Limited Treatment Options

Prior Phase 3 studies showed positive benefits in increasing unstimulated whole saliva secretion

Ainos aims to complete all regulatory approvals for the study in Q4 2024

SAN DIEGO, CA / ACCESSWIRE / September 23, 2024 / Ainos, Inc. (NASDAQ:AIMD)(NASDAQ:AIMDW) (“Ainos” or the “Company”), an innovative healthcare company focused on advanced AI-driven point-of-care testing (POCT) and low-dose interferon therapeutics, is pleased to announce that it plans to conduct a Taiwan clinical study for very low-dose interferon alpha (VELDONA) on treating Sjögren’s syndrome at Taipei Medical University-Shuang Ho Hospital. A total of eight clinical trials have been conducted in the U.S. by the Company to evaluate the use of VELDONA® for treating Sjögren’s syndrome. Three Prior Phase 3 studies show positive benefits in increasing unstimulated whole saliva secretion without significant adverse effects.

Disease overview
Sjögren’s syndrome is an autoimmune disease in which the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks its own tissues. The disease can be classified as primary (without associated autoimmune diseases) or secondary (associated with conditions such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and systemic sclerosis). The global prevalence of Sjögren’s syndrome is estimated to be 1 to 4 per 1,000 people, with approximately 90,000 patients in Taiwan. The disease primarily affects middle-aged women between 40 and 60 years old, with a female-to-male ratio of 9:1.

According to a 2022 report from the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), Sjögren’s syndrome affects between 400,000 to 3.1 million adults globally, with an average onset age of 45 to 55 years.

The global market for Sjögren’s syndrome treatment is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 4.2% from 2023 to 2030.

Clinical Study Design and Objectives
The upcoming study will be conducted by the Allergy, Immunology, and Rheumatology Department at Shuang Ho Hospital. The trial will follow the diagnostic criteria established by the American College of Rheumatology and the European League Against Rheumatism in 2016, aiming to recruit 24 patients. Each participant will take three sublingual tablets of VELDONA® daily for 24 to 48 weeks.

The primary objective is to evaluate the efficacy of VELDONA® in improving saliva secretion and dryness symptoms in patients with primary Sjögren’s syndrome.

Secondary objectives include:
1. Measuring the change in the EULAR Sjögren’s Syndrome Patient Reported Index (ESSPRI) for dryness symptoms on a scale from 0 to 10 (0 = no symptoms, 10 = worst imaginable symptoms);
2. Evaluating changes in the EULAR Sjögren’s Syndrome Disease Activity Index (ESSDAI);
3. Assessing improvements in oral and ocular symptoms using a visual analog scale (VAS) for eight dryness-related items;
4. Monitoring salivary gland function using a nuclear medicine salivary gland scan.

Study Timeline and Progress
ComboTrial Consultancy Ltd., a contract research organization certified by the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA), will manage the clinical trial.

Institutional Review Board (IRB) submission has been completed at Shuang Ho Hospital. TFDA approval is expected to be submitted in October, 2024. The trial is anticipated to complete all regulatory approvals by November 2024, with a site initiation meeting (SIV) and first patient visit (FPFV) projected for December 2024.

The patient enrollment will last approximately six months, with the last patient’s first visit (LPFV) expected by May 2025, and the last patient’s last visit (LPLV) by November 2025. The study is expected to conclude in January 2026.

Prior VELDONA® Studies:
A total of eight clinical trials have been conducted by the Company for evaluating VELDONA® for treating Sjögren’s syndrome in the U.S., including three Phase 3 trials. Three prior Phase 3 clinical trials demonstrated promising results in improving oral dryness symptoms without significant adverse effects.

1. First Study: A total of 241 patients were randomized in a 24-week double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Patients were given either placebo or 150 IU HBL IFNα three times daily. Results showed a significant increase in unstimulated whole saliva (p<0.05) in the treatment group compared to the placebo group. No other significant treatment effects were observed. There were no serious adverse events or deaths, and no significant differences in adverse event rates or severity between the groups.

2. Second Study: This 24-week double-blind, placebo-controlled trial included 256 patients. The treatment group showed a trend toward increased unstimulated whole saliva (p<0.10), but it did not reach statistical significance. No serious adverse events were reported, and safety profiles between the treatment and placebo groups were similar.

3. Third Study: A total of 288 patients participated in a 48-week open-label safety study. All patients received 150 IU HBL IFNα three times daily. By the end of the treatment, patients experienced significant improvements in oral dryness and comfort (p<0.0001), along with significant improvements in all eight dryness symptoms assessed (p<0.05). No serious adverse events were observed, and no clinically significant changes in safety parameters were detected.

“Based on these findings, Ainos is optimistic about VELDONA®’s potential to improve the quality of life for people living with primary Sjögren’s syndrome and believes it may become a valuable treatment option for the condition,” Chun-Hsien (Eddy) Tsai, Chairman of the Board, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Ainos, commented.

About Ainos, Inc.
Headquartered in San Diego, California, Ainos is a diversified healthcare company focused on novel AI-powered point-of-care testing (POCT) and low-dose interferon therapeutics (VELDONA). The Company’s clinical-stage product pipeline includes VELDONA human and animal oral therapeutics, human orphan drugs, and telehealth-friendly POCT solutions powered by its AI Nose technology platform.

The name “Ainos” is a combination of “AI” and “Nose” to reflect the Company’s commitment to empowering individuals to manage their health more effectively with next-generation AI-driven POCT solutions. To learn more, visit https://www.ainos.com.

Follow Ainos on X, formerly known as Twitter, (@AinosInc) and LinkedIn to stay up-to-date.

Safe Harbor Statement
Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “approximate,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “predict,” “project,” “target,” “future,” “likely,” “strategy,” “foresee,” “may,” “guidance,” “potential,” “outlook,” “forecast,” “should,” “will” or other similar words or phrases. Similarly, statements that describe the Company’s objectives, plans or goals are, or may be, forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based only on the Company’s current beliefs, expectations, and assumptions. Forward-looking statements are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks, and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of the Company’s control. The Company’s actual results may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements.

Important factors that could cause the Company’s actual results to differ materially from the projections, forecasts, estimates and expectations discussed in this press release include, among others, the cost of production and sales potential of the products announced in this press release; the Company’s dependence on projected revenues from the sale of current or future products; the Company’s limited cash and history of losses; the Company’s ability to achieve profitability; the Company’s ability to raise additional capital to continue the Company’s product development; the ability to accurately predict the future operating results of the Company; the ability to advance Ainos’ current or future product candidates through clinical trials, obtain marketing approval and ultimately commercialize any product candidates the Company develops; the ability to obtain and maintain regulatory approval of Ainos’ product candidates; delays in completing the development and commercialization of the Company’s current and future product candidates, which could result in increased costs to the Company, delay or limit the ability to generate revenue and adversely affect the business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects of the Company; intense competition and rapidly advancing technology in the Company’s industry that may outpace its technology; customer demand for the products and services the Company develops; the accuracy of third-party market research data, the impact of competitive or alternative products, technologies and pricing; disruption in research and development facilities; lawsuits and other claims by third parties or investigations by various regulatory agencies governing the Company’s operations; potential cybersecurity attacks; increased requirements and costs related to cybersecurity; the Company’s ability to realize the benefits of third party licensing agreements; the Company’s ability to obtain and maintain intellectual property protection for Ainos product candidates; compliance with applicable laws, regulations and tariffs; continued listing on and compliance with the applicable regulations of the Nasdaq Capital Market; and the Company’s success in managing growth. A more complete description of these risk factors and others is included in the “Risk Factors” section of Ainos’ Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, and other public filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), many of which risks are beyond the Company’s control. In addition to the risks described above and in the Company’s filings with the SEC, other unknown or unpredictable factors also could cause actual results to differ materially from the projections, forecasts, estimates and expectations discussed in this press release.

The forward-looking statements made in this press release are expressly qualified in their entirety by the foregoing cautionary statements. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release represent Ainos’ views only as of today and should not be relied upon as representing its views as of any subsequent date. Ainos undertakes no obligation to, and expressly disclaims any such obligation to, publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement to reflect changed assumptions, the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events or changes to the future results over time or otherwise, except as required by law.

Investor Relations Contact
Feifei Shen
Email: IR@ainos.com

Contact Information
Feifei Shen
ir@ainos.com

SOURCE: Ainos, Inc.

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