Edesa Biotech Completes Enrollment for Interim Clinical Study Milestone

TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / March 9, 2021 / Edesa Biotech, Inc. EDSA, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on inflammatory and immune-related diseases, today announced that it has completed enrollment of the first cohort of a Phase 2b clinical study evaluating the company's drug candidate EB01 as a monotherapy for chronic Allergic Contact Dermatitis (ACD), a potentially debilitating condition and occupational illness.

Edesa reported that all 46 subjects in the first cohort have been randomized and dosed with either Edesa's EB01 topical treatment or a placebo cream. EB01 contains a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory compound known as an sPLA2 inhibitor. Since EB01 is designed to inhibit the inflammatory process at its inception rather than after inflammation has occurred, the company believes that the drug could potentially exert a powerful anti-inflammatory effect without the safety concerns of steroids.

Once all the subjects in the first cohort complete the 28-day treatment, Edesa plans to initiate a blinded interim analysis. The interim results will determine the number of patients for the final part of the Phase 2b study based on probability thresholds previously approved by the Food and Drug Administration. In two previous clinical studies EB01 has demonstrated statistically significant improvement of multiple symptoms in ACD patients.

Dr. Par Nijhawan, MD, Chief Executive Officer of Edesa, said that the company is grateful to the patients, physicians and research staff for their participation and diligent work despite the challenges presented by the pandemic.

"We are encouraged by the strong interest in the program. Should the blinded analysis confirm that the probability of success meets or exceeds the predetermined thresholds, we plan to move rapidly into the final part of the study," said Dr. Nijhawan. He noted that enrollment activities for the second half of the Phase 2b study would continue during the interim analysis period.

Contact dermatitis, which can be either irritant contact dermatitis or ACD, is one of the most common occupational health illnesses in the United States. The disease has been estimated to cost up to $2 billion annually as a result of lost work, reduced productivity, medical care and disability payments. Edesa estimates that there are more than 2.5 million people in the U.S. with allergic contact dermatitis, with academic literature pointing to a potentially larger undiagnosed population. More than 1 million patients are estimated to have chronic ACD. To the company's knowledge, there are currently no treatment options specifically labelled for ACD.

Physicians interested in participating in the study should contact info@edesabiotech.com or visit www.clinicaltrials.gov NCT.

About Edesa Biotech, Inc.
Edesa Biotech, Inc. EDSA is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing innovative treatments for inflammatory and immune-related diseases with clear unmet medical needs. The company's two lead product candidates, EB05 and EB01, are in later stage clinical studies. EB05 is a monoclonal antibody therapy that we are developing as a treatment for Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS). ARDS is a life-threatening form of respiratory failure, and the leading cause of death among COVID-19 patients. Edesa is also developing an sPLA2 inhibitor, designated as EB01, as a topical treatment for chronic allergic contact dermatitis (ACD), a common, potentially debilitating condition and occupational illness. EB01 employs a novel, non-steroidal mechanism of action and in two clinical studies has demonstrated statistically significant improvement of multiple symptoms in ACD patients. The company is based in Markham, Ontario, Canada, with a U.S. subsidiary located in Southern California. Sign up for news alerts.

Edesa Forward-Looking Statements
This press release may contain 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. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of words such as "anticipate," "believe," "plan," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "will," "would," "could," "should," "might," "potential," or "continue" and variations or similar expressions, including statements related to: the company's plans regarding its Phase 2b clinical study, including its plans to initiate a blinded interim analysis, and the company's belief that EB01 could potentially exert a powerful anti-inflammatory effect without the safety concerns of steroids. Readers should not unduly rely on these forward-looking statements, which are not a guarantee of future performance. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as all such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results or future events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. Such risks include: the ability of Edesa to obtain regulatory approval for or successfully commercialize any of its product candidates, the risk that access to sufficient capital to fund Edesa's operations may not be available or may be available on terms that are not commercially favorable to Edesa, the risk that Edesa's product candidates may not be effective against the diseases tested in its clinical trials, the risk that Edesa fails to comply with the terms of license agreements with third parties and as a result loses the right to use key intellectual property in its business, Edesa's ability to protect its intellectual property, the timing and success of submission, acceptance and approval of regulatory filings, and the impacts of public health crises, such as COVID-19. Many of these factors that will determine actual results are beyond the company's ability to control or predict. For a discussion of further risks and uncertainties related to Edesa's business, please refer to Edesa's public company reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the British Columbia Securities Commission. All forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and are subject to change. Except as required by law, Edesa assumes no obligation to update such statements.

CONTACT:
Gary Koppenjan
Edesa Biotech, Inc.
(805) 488-2800 ext. 150
investors@edesabiotech.com

SOURCE: Edesa Biotech