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Expansion to SemaCyte Microcarrier platform enables optical barcoding and pooling of adherent cells to augment drug discovery high-content imaging and other screening processes Access available through Semarion’s Early Adopter Program CAMBRIDGE, England--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Semarion Ltd, a University of Cambridge spin-out company from the Cavendish Laboratory combining materials engineering and cell biology to tackle unmet drug screening needs, today introduced its SemaCyte® Multiplexing Platform, an expansion to the existing SemaCyte Microcarrier platform to utilize optical barcoding to accelerate screening processes during in vitro drug discovery. Designed specifically to augment microplate-based high-content imaging (HCI) approaches, the platform enables in situ multiplexing of adherent cells using the Company’s proprietary microcarriers, SemaCytes, to enhance both the quality and speed of data generation. The SemaCyte Multiplexing Platform uses optical barcodes to tag and differentiate individual cells and cell types while preserving natural morphology, with each microcarrier capable of carrying millions of unique identifiers. Each barcode can be viewed using brightfield microscopy, and digitally deconvoluted using the Company’s Semalyse software, included within the platform. Cells can be pooled for complex screening workflows, such as oncology panel screens, and enables individual cells to be precisely tracked and studied, facilitating increased throughput and more robust datasets to be generated, and shown to reduce cost and time requirements by up to 6- and 10-fold, respectively. The Multiplexing Platform can be used across a broad range of applications, including target identification, compound screening and compound profiling. The Multiplexing Platform has been developed to further leverage Semarion’s innovative microcarrier technology, SemaCytes, in advancing drug discovery workflows. SemaCytes are a novel class of cell carriers created to address fundamental limitations in adherent cell assaying workflows using microchip fabrication technologies, nanomagnetism, and smart materials. These well-shaped, magnetically steerable carriers enable controlled movement of small colonies of adherent cell types and can be directly assayed or stably cryopreserved for prolonged periods without the need for complex protocols and specialized equipment. This unique approach to microcarrier design provides users a streamlined route to conducting cell assays and offers significant improvements to throughput, resource efficiency and flexibility. Following the success of the Early Adopter Program for the SemaCyte Microcarrier Platform in October 20231, researchers can now apply for early access to the Multiplexing Platform. As part of the program, Semarion will work in partnership with early adopters to integrate the platform into existing workflows. To apply to be part of the Early Adopter Program, please visit the following link: Dr. Jeroen Verheyen, Co-Founder and CEO, Semarion, commented: “We saw a fantastic response to our Early Adopter Program for the SemaCyte platform in October 2023, and are pleased to be able to expand the program now to accommodate the next iteration of that technology, the SemaCyte Multiplexing Platform. Building on the success of our innovative microcarrier technology, the Multiplex Platform enables diverse mixtures of cells and cell types to be individually tagged with unique, optical barcodes, and pooled to maximise screening throughput, whilst significantly reducing cost and time requirements.” Dr. Del Trezise, Advisor and Non-Executive Director, Semarion, said: “The SemaCyte Multiplexing Platform has been specifically designed to address the limitations of image-based assay techniques. Leveraging optically-barcoded microcarriers, each capable of carrying over a million identifiers, the Platform enables researchers to conduct simultaneous image analysis of hundreds of distinct cell populations from within a single well – demonstrating immense promise for enhancing the efficiency of cell panel screens.” Dr. Erica Bello, Head of the Target Discovery Group, The Milner Therapeutics Institute, commented: “We are currently implementing arrayed CRISPR screens to validate targets associated with resistance to a pan-AKT inhibitor drug, AZD5363, which were identified in a pooled CRIPSR screen. We are going to work with Semarion to see whether their exciting platform can be used to multiplex cancer cell lines in arrayed CRISPR screens, which could lead to substantial time and cost savings.” Semarion will be showcasing the SemaCyte Multiplexing Platform at the TechBio Breakthrough Zone of ELRIG Research and Innovation 2024, taking place 20-21 March at the University of Manchester. For more information about the SemaCyte Multiplexing Platform, visit: . View source version on businesswire.com: Contacts Media contact: Lily Jeffery Zyme Communications +44 (0) 07891 477 378 lily.jeffery@zymecommunications.com Source: Semarion Ltd View this news release online at:

The company focuses on discovering and developing small-molecule, targeted therapeutics for the treatment of fibrotic disease and cancer. RXC008 is a wholly owned gastro-intestinal (GI) targeted Rho-associated coiled-coil containing protein kinase (ROCK) inhibitor, being developed as a potential first-in-class treatment for patients with fibrostenotic Crohn’s disease. The primary objective of this first-in-human study is to evaluate the safety and pharmacokinetic (PK) profile of the drug and it is expected that results from the healthy volunteer cohorts will be available by the end of 2024. Lisa Anson, CEO, of Redx Pharma said: “We are delighted to confirm that the first participant has been dosed in the RXC008 Phase 1 clinical study. RXC008 is a potential first-in-class treatment for patients with fibrostenotic Crohn’s disease, a debilitating condition where successive surgeries are the only treatment option available today. “This milestone represents the sixth asset from Redx to enter clinical development, continuing our strong track record in small molecule drug discovery as a result of our world-class medicinal chemistry and translational science expertise.” Significant unmet clinical need Fibrostenotic Crohn’s disease is a chronic condition that causes inflammation and fibrotic stricture formation in the GI tract. More than 50% of patients diagnosed with Crohn’s disease will develop fibrostenosis within 10 years of diagnosis. There are currently no drugs specifically approved for the underlying fibrosis, which can progress despite intervention with anti-inflammatory therapies.  The only current treatment options are invasive surgical procedures to remove the affected part of the GI tract with the majority of patients requiring many successive surgical interventions. googletag.cmd.push(function () { googletag.display('text-ad1'); }); Dr Helen Timmis, interim chief medical officer, of Redx Pharma added: “Fibrostenotic Crohn’s disease patients face a significant unmet clinical need, and I am pleased that we have successfully progressed RXC008 into the clinic. “The strength of our preclinical package makes us hopeful that RXC008 can be a potential first-in-class therapeutic treatment option for fibrostenotic Crohn’s patients, and we look forward to reporting the phase 1 healthy volunteer data later this year.” Single and multi-ascending dose The phase 1 clinical study consists of two parts. The first in healthy volunteers includes both single ascending dose (SAD) and multiple ascending dose (MAD) cohorts, the latter being dosed for 14 days. The primary endpoint for the healthy volunteer cohorts will be safety, with secondary endpoints being related to RXC008’s PK profile. The second part of the study will investigate patients with fibrostenotic Crohn’s disease who will be dosed for a one-month duration with a placebo control, to show safety along with PK profile, target engagement, and changes in circulating biomarkers. Data from the healthy volunteer cohorts are expected to be available by the end of 2024. RXC008 is a potent, oral, small molecule non-systemic ROCK 1/2 inhibitor that avoids the significant cardiovascular side effects of pan-ROCK inhibitors, including tachycardia and hypotension, by being restricted to the GI-tract via high efflux and low permeability. This results in virtually no systemic breakthrough, with the molecule being rapidly metabolised by paraoxonase enzymes in the plasma, should any breakthrough occur under particular circumstances. RXC008 has a strong preclinical package across multiple therapeutic models, data from which was presented at the 2022 Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Nordic Conference, including results from a therapeutic 12-week DSS model with a closely related GI-targeted ROCK inhibitor, REDX08087.  In this model, Redx was able to show a complete reversal of preformed GI fibrosis as measured by trichome collagen staining, fully reversing fibrosis back to baseline levels. This level of anti-fibrotic effect is the strongest seen in any of Redx’s fibrosis models and modes of action to date. RXC008 is being developed to be used in conjunction with anti-inflammatories and other symptomatic treatments for Crohn’s to address the underlying fibrosis of the disease.