Annexin Pharmaceuticals
Empower the body
to fight disease
Drug candidate ANXV has the potential to help many patients - across a wide range of diseases - by empowering the body to fight, repair and heal. From eye diseases and cancer, to vascular and viral diseases - all are potential indications for ANXV.
Therapeutic areas & clinical studies
Promise a broad therapeutic coverage
The therapeutic potential of ANXV is broad since its target phosphatidylserine (PS) is a factor in several diseases. The investigational new drug ANXV has a promising mode of action that is expected to be beneficial in cases of both Retinal Vein Occlusion (RVO) and cancer, as well as several other indications. ANXV is currently being investigated in a Phase 2 study for RVO, a disease that causes vision impairment or blindness and affects millions of people worldwide.
Retinal Vein Occlusion
Retinal Vein Occlusion (RVO) is the blockage or closing of a vein in the eye. It is the second most common sight-threatening retinal vascular disorder after diabetic retinopathy. Globally, the prevalence of RVO is reported to be over 16 million cases. RVO might present with a sudden, painless loss of vision and macular oedema (ME).
Read more
Cancer
Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for nearly 10 million losses of life in 2020, which accounts for nearly one in six deaths.
The most common cancers are those occurring in the breast, lung, colon and rectum, and prostate. The need for innovative new therapies in cancer is still large, where ANXV could potentially help many patients.
Read more
Introduction to ANXV
Cell protector and immune modulator
The role of the Annexin A5 protein produced by cells in the body is to counteract cellular stress and tissue injury. It also acts as an immunomodulator by inhibiting the signalling caused by phosphatidylserine (PS), a lipid molecule found in all cellular membranes. ANXV contains Annexin A5, produced by recombinant techniques using a bacteria named Escherichia coli (E.coli). Like the endogenous Annexin A5, ANXV binds to PS. ANXV can thereby protect cells, regulate the behaviour of immune cells, and potentially be of beneficial therapeutic effect.
Helping damaged cells to recover
Annexin A5, and thereby ANXV, works primarily by binding to phosphatidylserine (PS), a lipid that constitutes 10-15% of the lipids in the cell membrane. Normally, PS is located on the inside of the cell membrane. However, when cells are stressed or damaged, PS is exposed on the outside of the cell membrane, which in turn activates immune cells and contributes to coagulation reactions, making cells stickier and leading to aggregates. ANXV build a shield over PS-exposing cell membranes, neutralising the pathologic overexposure and signalling of PS.
About ANXVFirst-In-Class potential in RVO and cancer
ANXV’s therapeutic potential as a First-In-Class treatment for patients diagnosed with Retinal Vein Occlusion (RVO) is currently being evaluated. At present, there are no drugs available to treat the cause of RVO or that targets PS, which has been suggested as a main contributor to the emergence of RVO. The mechanisms of action(s) of ANXV is non-overlapping to that of the current standard of care, anti-VEGF drugs.
ANXV’s potential in oncology is also being investigated. Cancer cells often expose PS on the cell surface, which contributes to the ability of cancers to avoid an immune cell attack. Data from animal studies suggest that ANXV can be as effective as currently used treatments, immune checkpoint inhibitors, to reduce tumor size and prevent death by enabling the immune system to attack the cancer cells. Also, following binding to the cancer cell, ANXV is internalised into the cell, a phenomenon that is currently evaluated to make toxic drugs chemically bound to ANXV and kill cancer cells while sparing healthy cells from death.
Read more
Company
Prepared for all stages of development
Annexin Pharmaceuticals is a clinical stage biotech company, and a leader in the Annexin A5 area. The company is based in Stockholm, Sweden, and listed on First North, Stockholm. The management team and the board of directors have extensive experience within research and development of pharmaceutical products, from preclinical stage to market authorisation application, as well as acquisitions, mergers and licensing.
Read more