ZT-01

Digital biology company Optic is collaborating with early-stage oncology therapeutics venture, Vindur Tx, to use Optics proprietary generative AI platform to find novel highly selective kinase inhibitors and develop more effective cancer treatments. Vindur Tx agreed to pay Optic as much as $17.5 million for its proprietary technology to search for new ways of addressing what the company called previously "undruggable" targets in difficult-to-treat cancers. The strategy could lead to new and more effective treatments. Optic's AI platform BIOPTIC accelerates the drug discovery process by utilizing an ultra-high-performance exclusive AI screening platform for testing billions of compounds in minutes. The process helps explore the previously unreachable vast chemical space to search for novel drug candidates faster. "Working with BIOPTIC has been a revelation," Vindur Tx cofounder Deniz Kural said in a statement. "They delivered highly selective ligands in record time, significantly accelerating our research. We're thrilled with the results and the potential impact on our projects." Diabetes life sciences company, Zucara Therapeutics, announced that pharma giant Sanofi has made a strategic investment in the company as part of its $20 million Series B financing. Sanofi will also receive an exclusive right of first negotiation. The Perceptive Xontogeny Venture Fund and other investors participated in the round which could increase to $25 million. Proceeds from the financing will fund Zucara's ongoing Phase 2a trial of the effect of ZT-01 On Nocturnal hypoglycemia Events in Type 1 diabetes ("T1D") mellitus ("ZONE") and the nonclinical activities to support a once-weekly version of ZT-01. "Having led Zucara's US$21 million Series A financing in early 2020, we are proud to continue to support the company in advancing the development of ZT-01, especially alongside strategic partner and world-leading healthcare company, Sanofi," Chris Garabedian, portfolio manager at Venture for Perceptive Advisors, said in a statement. "By preventing hypoglycemia in people using insulin therapy, ZT-01 represents a promising approach to improving health outcomes of people living with diabetes." MintNeuro, a company involved in low-power semiconductor technology for minimally-invasive neural implant applications, announced it raised £1 million ($1.27 million) in a funding round led by Empirical Ventures. Parkwalk Advisors (through the Imperial College Enterprise Fund), Imperial College London, Plug & Play, Excellis Holding and several investors participated in the round. MintNeuro uses semiconductor technology to make neural implants smaller, more efficient and scalable. With over £14 million ($17.84 million) in underpinning R&D grant funding to date, the MintNeuro team used semiconductor manufacturing to permit cost-effective, mass-producible neural devices. "Our semiconductor-based approach is fundamentally reshaping what neural implants can achieve," Timothy Constandinou, CTO and cofounder of MintNeuro, said in a statement. "By offering a customisable, compact solution that integrates seamlessly into medical devices, we're empowering a new era of neural interfaces that are not only more powerful but also less invasive. This marks a transformative shift in neurological care."

- ZONE study to evaluate the effect of ZT-01 on preventing nighttime hypoglycemia in people with Type 1 diabetes - - ZT-01 has the potential to become the first therapeutic to prevent nocturnal hypoglycemia, a condition for which there are currently no available therapies - TORONTO, Sept. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -Zucara Therapeutics Inc., ("Zucara" or the "Company") a diabetes life sciences company developing the first once-daily therapeutic to prevent hypoglycemia (low blood glucose levels) in people with diabetes, today announced that it has dosed the first patient in its Phase 2a trial of the effect of ZT-01 On Nocturnal hypoglycemia Events in Type 1 diabetes ("T1D") mellitus ("ZONE"). "Dosing the first patient in Zucara's ZONE trial is the Company's most significant milestone to date, and advances what could be the first preventative solution to potentially dangerous nighttime low blood glucose levels," said Michael Midmer, Zucara Therapeutics' Chief Executive Officer. "Nighttime hypoglycemia remains a significant challenge in diabetes management and is a great source of fear for people with diabetes, parents and their caregivers. We believe ZT-01 could greatly improve quality of life by preventing these low blood sugar events which are an ongoing disruption to many people with T1D and can lead to serious complications and poorer health outcomes." The ZONE study is a multi-centre, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, multiple-dose, crossover study designed to evaluate the effect of ZT-01 on the frequency of nocturnal hypoglycemia in patients with T1D. Patients will self-administer one of three doses of ZT-01, or placebo, every evening before bed each for a four-week period. Patients will be monitored for hypoglycemia events using a continuous glucose monitor. The study's primary endpoint is the rate of nocturnal hypoglycemic events, compared to placebo. Secondary endpoints include the number of patients experiencing adverse events and time spent in hypoglycemia compared to placebo. Dr. Alex Abitbol, who previously evaluated ZT-01 in a Phase 1b study and will be a principal investigator for ZONE, commented, "The positive results from the proof-of-concept Phase 1b study of ZT-01 were intriguing: in addition to observing a rise in glucagon, we also saw a corresponding rise in glucose during hypoglycemia. This suggests that ZT-01 can prevent nocturnal hypoglycemia, which is what we aim to confirm in the ZONE trial." The ZONE study is actively recruiting and will enroll patients at as many as 15 clinical sites across Canada and the U.S. Recruitment is expected to be completed in 2024. Zucara previously announced positive results from its proof-of-concept Phase 1b study of ZT-01 in people with T1D demonstrating that nearly 90% of patients had a meaningful increase in glucagon release following ZT-01 administration, compared to placebo, with no serious adverse events observed. About ZT-01 ZT-01 is designed to prevent potentially dangerous low blood glucose by restoring the body's ability to counterregulate hypoglycemia. In people without diabetes, α-cells secrete glucagon that signals the body to release its own glucose stores to prevent or reverse hypoglycemia. However, in people with insulin-dependent diabetes – including those with T1D and insulin-dependent Type 2 diabetes – evidence suggests that elevated secretion of pancreatic somatostatin suppresses glucagon release from α-cells. Zucara has demonstrated that, in people with T1D, the glucagon response can be increased with ZT-01, a first-in-class SST receptor 2 antagonist. About Zucara Therapeutics Inc. Zucara Therapeutics is developing ZT-01, a first-in-class, once-daily therapeutic to prevent hypoglycemia in people with T1D and insulin-dependent Type 2 diabetes. ZT-01 is designed to inhibit somatostatin, a pancreatic hormone that impairs the glucagon response to hypoglycemia in people with these conditions. ZT-01 is designed to restore glucagon secretion to prevent hypoglycemia, which could dramatically change diabetes disease management and improve both patient health and quality of life. For more information, visit .