Serina Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotechnology company specializing in therapies for Parkinson’s Disease and other neurological conditions, is merging with AgeX Therapeutics. The all-stock transaction will see the formation of a combined company called Serina Therapeutics. This entity will advance Serina’s pipeline of small molecule drug candidates targeting central nervous system indications. It will also work on next-generation RNA vaccines using Serina’s proprietary POZ polymer lipid-nanoparticles technology. The merger is expected to facilitate capital access for Serina’s platform technology and foster collaborations with AgeX and Juvenescence.
Serina Therapeutics, Inc. (“Serina”), a privately-held, clinical-stage biotechnology company developing a pipeline of therapies for the treatment of Parkinson’s Disease and other neurological diseases, entered into a merger agreement with AgeX Therapeutics, Inc. (NYSE American: AGE) (“AgeX”) on August 29, 2023, under which Serina will merge with a wholly-owned subsidiary of AgeX in an all-stock transaction. The combined company will continue under the Serina Therapeutics name and will focus on advancing Serina’s pipeline of small molecule drug candidates targeting central nervous system (“CNS”) indications, enabled by the company’s proprietary POZ Platform™ delivery technology. In addition to advancing the company’s wholly-owned pipeline assets, Serina is working with companies in the pharmaceutical industry currently advancing pre-clinical studies exploring POZ polymer lipid-nanoparticles (“LNPs”) in next generation RNA vaccines.
“The merger with AgeX positions Serina to advance our CNS pipeline assets and expand our platform partnering opportunities,” said Milton Harris, PhD, Co-Founder and Chair of the Board of Serina. “We believe it represents the best path forward for Serina in accessing transformative capital to advance our platform technology. As a board director of the combined company, I look forward to collaborating with our new partners AgeX and Juvenescence, as we continue the work of translating our science into innovative therapeutics.”
“We are delighted to announce the proposed merger with Serina,” said Joanne M. Hackett, PhD, Chairperson and Interim Chief Executive Officer of AgeX. “The AgeX team thoroughly reviewed and evaluated numerous strategic alternatives for creating stockholder value, and we believe this transaction with Serina presented the most compelling option for our stockholders. We see exciting potential to generate novel drug candidates with the POZ Platform™ delivery technology.”
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“Serina merging with AgeX is an important step towards recognizing the potential to develop the POZ Platform™ to deliver novel medicines and treatment modalities,” said Richard Marshall, Chief Executive Officer of Juvenescence Limited (“Juvenescence”). “We plan to leverage our deep pharmaceutical expertise and network to assist the combined company to reach its goal in maximizing value for stockholders.”
The combined company will focus on advancing Serina’s lead drug candidate (SER-252, POZ-apomorphine) for the treatment of advanced Parkinson’s Disease through pre-clinical studies, with the goal of submitting an investigational new drug submission (“IND”) to the Food and Drug Administration for the initiation of a Phase I clinical trial during the fourth quarter of 2024. Serina has two other pipeline assets that are positioned to enter IND enabling studies, SER-227 (POZ-buprenorphine) for certain post-operative pain indications and SER-228 (POZ-cannabidiol) for refractory epilepsy indications. Additionally, the combined company will focus on expanding Serina’s LNP and antibody drug conjugate (“ADC”) partnering collaborations.
Source: BioSpace