Sareum reports progress across pipeline

(Sharecast News) - Sareum updated investors on progress across its pipeline ahead of its annual general meeting on Tuesday, highlighting continued advances in its lead autoimmune candidate SDC-1801 and strengthening commercial positioning for its cancer assets SDC-1802 and SRA737. Executive chairman Dr Stephen Parker said the AIM-traded company was "well-positioned to restart" phase two-enabling toxicology work on SDC-1801 after resolving an issue that led to the discontinuation of a previous preclinical study.

The selective TYK2/JAK1 inhibitor had completed phase one trials, which showed once-daily dosing potential, no serious adverse events and "no dose-limiting side effects" typically associated with other dual TYK2/JAK1 inhibitors.

Sareum said it had already manufactured both GMP and non-GMP batches of the drug and was optimising its capsule formulation, a project due to conclude in the first quarter of 2026.

A pharmacokinetic study comparing four formulations would start imminently before the full 16-week toxicology programme restarted in early 2026.

Sareum said it was continuing to assess the best route to develop SDC-1802, which had shown its strongest tumour response in haematological cancers, including T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and B-cell lymphoma.

Dr Parker said partnering could be the preferred route.

The firm also reported material progress with SRA737, its checkpoint kinase 1 inhibitor.

Following the termination of its previous US licensing arrangement in March, Sareum reacquired rights to the programme on improved economic terms and now retained 63.5% of all future revenue, compared with 27.5% previously.

Sareum said it was exploring partnerships for SRA737 and continued to hold an active FDA investigational new drug application for a phase one trial in acute myeloid leukaemia and myelodysplastic syndromes.

In addition, Sareum said it had expanded its TYK2 platform into neuroscience, collaborating with Receptor.AI to design brain-penetrant TYK2/JAK1 inhibitors targeting neuro-inflammatory diseases such as multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's.

The first compounds were in biochemical and ADME testing to evaluate potency and blood-brain barrier penetration.

To accelerate value realisation, Sareum said it had retained a specialist US business development consultancy to support partnering discussions for SDC-1801 and SRA737.

The board said it was continuing to prioritise non-dilutive funding and said existing cash resources were sufficient to progress current plans.

It was also reviewing senior staffing needs, including potential appointments to chief medical officer and chief executive roles.

Dr Parker said 2025 had delivered "substantial progress across its pipeline" and reaffirmed confidence in SDC-1801's "best-in-class" potential.

He said the restart of toxicology studies and improved economics for SRA737 gave the company "a clear set of value-creating milestones ahead" as it entered the next phase of development.

At 1237 GMT, shares in Sareum Holdings were down 3.69% at 12.52p.

Reporting by Josh White for Sharecast.com.