Secukinumab

ZUG, Switzerland I April 3, 2025 I MoonLake Immunotherapeutics (MoonLake; Nasdaq: MLTX), a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on creating next-level therapies for inflammatory diseases, today announced that it has entered into an agreement with Hercules Capital, Inc. (NYSE:HTGC), a leader in customized debt financing for companies in the life sciences and technology-related markets, for up to $500 million in non-dilutive capital, of which $75 million drawn down at close and additional tranches will become available upon achievement of certain pre-specified milestones that are aligned with MoonLake’s strategy and funding needs. The additional capital strengthens MoonLake’s balance sheet and provides financial support to rapidly advance sonelokimab and bring to market an investigational ~40 kDa humanized Nanobody® designed to directly target sites of inflammation by inhibiting all relevant IL-17 dimers (namely the IL-17A/A, IL-17A/F, and IL-17F/F dimers) and penetrating difficult-to-reach inflamed tissues. Matthias Bodenstedt, Chief Financial Officer at MoonLake Immunotherapeutics, said: “We are extremely excited to partner with Hercules Capital that recognizes the value and potential of sonelokimab. We were able to secure deal terms, including a very sizable commitment and a highly competitive cost of capital. This financing facility further bolsters our already robust cash position without diluting our shareholders’ stakes and effectively removes any perceived financing overhang as we approach our pivotal data readout for the HS VELA program this summer.” Bryan Jadot, Group Head and Senior Managing Director at Hercules Capital and John Miotti, Principal at Hercules Capital . added: “We are thrilled to partner with MoonLake Immunotherapeutics and support their mission of improving treatment outcomes for patients living with inflammatory diseases. This transaction highlights our commitment to empowering biotech companies as they navigate the critical path from clinical trials to market success” Capital Markets Update The Company plans to further discuss how the new facility provides financial and operational strength over the coming years and how it impacts its broader financing strategy, and plans to discuss important clinical updates, at an in-person and virtual Capital Markets Update on Tuesday, April 29, 2025 in New York. Further details will be announced closer to the date. Current Trials and Upcoming Data Readouts MoonLake is rapidly progressing a total of eight Phase 2 and Phase 3 clinical trials, plus other ancillary trials and expects to read out pivotal Phase 3 data for HS as of mid-2025. In the upcoming Capital Markets Update, the Company expects to share details on patient baseline characteristics for the VELA program and narrowed guidance with respect to the timing of the primary endpoint read-out, following screening of the last patients. MoonLake also anticipates sharing an interim read out from the Phase 2 LEDA trial of sonelokimab in palmoplantar pustulosis (PPP), the first clinical trial in PPP for an IL-17A and IL-17F inhibitor. Dr. Jorge Santos da Silva, Chief Executive Officer of MoonLake Immunotherapeutics, said : “The new $500 million facility further strengthens our financial position. With this facility and existing cash balance, we are in control of our financing strategy, and we can drive the advancement of sonelokimab in multiple indications, while building our commercial readiness activities including in the United States. I am confident that narrowed guidance on the VELA primary endpoint readout and the presentation of baseline characteristics will continue to demonstrate our ability to execute and further validate the expectations on sonelokimab. I am very glad that the PPP Phase 2 LEDA trial recruited much faster than anticipated and that we will be able to share data with the market sooner than expected. This will further contribute to building the position of sonelokimab as a high-potential, multi-indication asset that can truly change the lives of patients.” Leerink Partners served as exclusive financial advisor to MoonLake on the term loan financing. Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP and Kellerhals Carrard, served as legal counsel to the Company. DLA Piper LLP and Schellenberg Wittmer served as legal counsel to Hercules Capital. – Ends – About MoonLake Immunotherapeutics MoonLake Immunotherapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company unlocking the potential of sonelokimab, a novel investigational Nanobody ® for the treatment of inflammatory disease, to revolutionize outcomes for patients. Sonelokimab inhibits IL-17A and IL-17F by inhibiting the IL-17A/A, IL-17A/F, and IL-17F/F dimers that drive inflammation. The Company’s focus is on inflammatory diseases with a major unmet need, including hidradenitis suppurativa and psoriatic arthritis – conditions affecting millions of people worldwide with a large need for improved treatment options. MoonLake was founded in 2021 and is headquartered in Zug, Switzerland. Further information is available at www.moonlaketx.com. About Nanobodies ® Nanobodies ® represent a new generation of antibody-derived targeted therapies. They consist of one or more domains based on the small antigen-binding variable regions of heavy-chain-only antibodies (VHH). Nanobodies ® have a number of potential advantages over traditional antibodies, including their small size, enhanced tissue penetration, resistance to temperature changes, ease of manufacturing, and their ability to be designed into multivalent therapeutic molecules with bespoke target combinations. The terms Nanobody ® and Nanobodies ® are trademarks of Ablynx, a Sanofi company. About Sonelokimab Sonelokimab (M1095) is an investigational ~40 kDa humanized Nanobody ® consisting of three variable regions of heavy-chain-only antibodies domains (VHHs) covalently linked by flexible glycine-serine spacers. With two domains, sonelokimab selectively binds with high affinity to IL-17A and IL-17F, thereby inhibiting the IL-17A/A, IL-17A/F, and IL-17F/F dimers. A third central domain binds to human albumin, facilitating further enrichment of sonelokimab at sites of inflammatory edema. Sonelokimab is being assessed in two lead indications, hidradenitis suppurative (HS) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA), and the Company is pursuing other indications in dermatology and rheumatology, including adolescent HS, palmo-plantar pustulosis (PPP) and axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA). For adults with HS, sonelokimab is being assessed in the Phase 3 trials, VELA-1 and VELA-2, following the successful outcome of MoonLake’s end-of-Phase 2 interactions with the FDA and as well as positive feedback from its interactions with the EMA announced in February 2024. In June 2023, topline results of the MIRA trial (NCT05322473) at 12 weeks showed that the trial met its primary endpoint, the Hidradenitis Suppurativa Clinical Response (HiSCR) 75, which is a higher measure of clinical response versus the HiSCR50 measure used in other clinical trials, setting a landmark milestone. In October 2023, the full dataset from the MIRA trial at 24 weeks showed that maintenance treatment with sonelokimab led to further improvements in HiSCR75 response rates and other high threshold clinical and patient relevant outcomes. The safety profile of sonelokimab in the MIRA trial was consistent with previous trials with no new safety signals detected. Sonelokimab is currently undergoing evaluation in the VELA-TEEN Phase 3 trial, which is the first clinical study specifically focused on adolescent patients with moderate-to-severe HS. For PsA, sonelokimab is being assessed in the Phase 3 trials, IZAR-1 and IZAR-2, following the announcement in March 2024 of the full dataset from the global Phase 2 ARGO trial (M1095-PSA-201) evaluating the efficacy and safety of the Nanobody ® sonelokimab over 24 weeks in patients with active PsA. Significant improvements were observed across all key outcomes, including approximately 60% of patients treated with sonelokimab achieving an American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 50 response and Minimal Disease Activity (MDA) at week 24. This followed the positive top-line results in November 2023, where the trial met its primary endpoint with a statistically significant greater proportion of patients treated with either sonelokimab 60mg or 120mg (with induction) achieving an ACR50 response compared to those on placebo at week 12. All key secondary endpoints in the trial were met for the 60mg and 120mg doses with induction. The safety profile of sonelokimab in the ARGO trial was consistent with previous trials with no new safety signals detected. Sonelokimab is also being assessed in the Phase 2 LEDA trial, which is ongoing for PPP, a debilitating inflammatory skin condition affecting a significant number of patients. Additionally, sonelokimab is being assessed in the ongoing Phase 2 S-OLARIS trial for active axSpA. The trial features an innovative design complementing traditional clinical outcomes with cellular imaging techniques. Sonelokimab has also been assessed in a randomized, placebo-controlled third-party Phase 2b trial (NCT03384745) in 313 patients with moderate-to-severe plaque-type psoriasis. High threshold clinical responses (Investigator’s Global Assessment Score 0 or 1, and Psoriasis Area and Severity Index 90/100) were observed in patients with moderate-to-severe plaque-type psoriasis. Sonelokimab was generally well tolerated, with a safety profile similar to the active control, secukinumab (Papp KA, et al. Lancet. 2021; 397:1564-1575). In an earlier third-party Phase 1 trial in patients with moderate-to-severe plaque-type psoriasis, sonelokimab has been shown to decrease (to normal skin levels) the cutaneous gene expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines (Svecova D. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2019;81:196–203). About the VELA program The Phase 3 VELA program is expected to enroll 800 patients across VELA-1 and VELA-2. Both global, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials are identical in design evaluating the efficacy and safety of the Nanobody ® sonelokimab, administered subcutaneously, in adult patients with active moderate-to-severe hidradenitis suppurativa. Similar to the design of the landmark Phase 2 MIRA trial, the primary endpoint is the percentage of participants achieving Hidradenitis Suppurativa Clinical Response (HiSCR) 75, defined as a ≥75% reduction in total abscess and inflammatory nodule (AN) count with no increase in abscess or draining tunnel count relative to baseline. The trials will also evaluate a number of secondary endpoints, including the proportion of patients achieving HiSCR50, the change from baseline in International Hidradenitis Suppurativa Severity Score System (IHS4), the proportion of patients achieving a Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) total reduction of ≥4, the proportion of patients achieving at least 50% reduction from baseline in Numerical Rating Scale (NRS50) in the Patient’s Global Assessment of Skin Pain (PGA Skin Pain) and complete resolution of Draining Tunnels (DT100). Further details are available under NCT06411379 and NCT06411899 at ClinicalTrials.gov. About the VELA-TEEN trial The Phase 3 VELA-TEEN trial is an open-label, single-arm trial designed to evaluate sonelokimab 120mg administered subcutaneously once every two weeks (Q2W) until week six and once every four weeks (Q4W) from week eight onwards. The trial aims to enroll 30-40 adolescents, aged 12-17, with moderate-to-severe hidradenitis suppurativa, from U.S. sites experienced in clinical trials and pediatric dermatology. The primary trial phase will be 24 weeks with a primary endpoint evaluating the pharmacokinetics, safety, and tolerability of sonelokimab. VELA-TEEN will also evaluate several secondary endpoints, including the proportion of patients achieving the higher clinical response measure of the Hidradenitis Suppurativa Clinical Response Score (HiSCR) 75, in addition to HiSCR50. Other outcomes are the change from baseline in the International Hidradenitis Suppurativa Severity Score System (IHS4), which includes the quantitative measure of draining tunnels, and the proportion of patients achieving a meaningful reduction of the Children’s Dermatology Life Quality Index (CDLQI) and the Patients Global Assessment of Skin Pain (PGA Skin Pain). Further details are available under NCT06768671 at ClinicalTrials.gov. About Hidradenitis Suppurativa Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a severely debilitating chronic skin condition resulting in irreversible tissue destruction. HS manifests as painful inflammatory skin lesions, typically around the armpits, groin, and buttocks. Over time, uncontrolled and inadequately treated inflammation can result in irreversible tissue destruction and scarring. The disease affects an estimated 2% of the population, with three times more females affected than males. Real-world data in the US indicates that at least 2 million unique patients have been diagnosed with and treated for HS between 2016 and 2023 alone, highlighting a significant unmet need and impact on healthcare systems, and a market opportunity projected to reach $15bn by 2035. Onset typically occurs in early adulthood and HS has a profound negative impact on quality of life, with a higher morbidity than other dermatologic conditions. There is increasing scientific evidence to support IL-17A- and IL-17F-mediated inflammation as a key driver of the pathogenesis of HS, with other identified risk factors including genetics, cigarette smoking, and obesity. About the LEDA Trial The LEDA trial is a Phase 2 trial designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of sonelokimab 120mg administered subcutaneously in adult patients with palmoplantar pustulosis (PPP). The primary endpoint of the trial is percent change from baseline in Palmoplantar Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (ppPASI) with important secondary endpoints including ppPASI75 (at least 75% improvement in the ppPASI). The LEDA trial features an innovative translational research program using peripheral blood and tissue biomarkers as trial controls. The trial design has been informed by previous successful studies of sonelokimab, including the landmark Phase 2 MIRA trial in hidradenitis suppurativa, which identified the optimal dosing and demonstrated the potential of sonelokimab to target deep tissue inflammation effectively. About Palmoplantar Pustulosis Palmoplantar Pustulosis (PPP) is characterized by the development of blister-like pustules within erythematous, scaly plaques on the palms and the soles of the feet. PPP typically develops in adulthood, more frequently impacts females. Patients frequently experience significant pain, burning, and itching sensations on the palms and soles of the feet which can be debilitating and impair their ability to work, sleep, or perform other activities of daily living. Currently, the treatment of PPP is challenging with a significant unmet need for novel therapies to reduce the symptom burden for patients. Evidence suggests that activation of the IL-17 pathway has an important role in disease pathophysiology. SOURCE: MoonLake Immunotherapeutics

The flurry of immunology biotech launches continues. Boston-based Hillstar Bio on Tuesday became the latest immunology startup launch, unveiling a $67 million Series A round funded by Droia Ventures, Frazier Life Sciences, Novo Holdings and LifeArc Ventures. The biologics developer has been in the works since 2023, CEO Robert Mabry told Endpoints News . Mabry joined Hillstar in recent months after departing his chief scientific officer post at RNA medicines outfit Orna Therapeutics . “It’s just such a fantastic time for biologics right now. You’re seeing just a renaissance. All the technology is coming to fruition,” Mabry said. With the Series A, Hillstar expects to get into the clinic next year with its first biologic. The startup will begin in axial spondyloarthritis, or axSpA. The inflammatory condition leads to lower back pain, causing arthritis in the spine and other joints and organs. Approved medicines for the condition include Novartis’ Cosentyx, UCB’s Bimzelx and AbbVie’s Rinvoq . Others, like Acelyrin, once had ambitions in the space. Hillstar’s HSB-101 biologic targets TRBV9 + T cells. The goal is to invoke an “immune reset,” Mabry said. Beyond its lead asset, Hillstar could go into cold agglutinin disease, or CAD, according to a job posting for the company. In the rare condition, a patient’s immune system prematurely kills red blood cells. Sanofi sold Enjaymo, its approved drug for the condition, to Recordati for $825 million in October. “It’s still an area that we’re exploring,” Mabry said of CAD. “What we’ve been able to generate is a proprietary dataset using patient samples in that area, so we’re very excited about that as one of many different autoimmune diseases that we can go after.” Leading the biotech’s development is former Boston Pharmaceuticals clinical development SVP Mitchell Keegan. Hillstar’s chief operating officer is Lauren Mifflin, a principal of company creation at one of the startup’s key investors, Frazier Life Sciences. Hillstar’s board includes Mabry, Ingram, Novo Holdings senior partner Kenneth Harrison, Frazier General Partner Dan Estes, Droia Managing Partner Luc Dochez and Droia Partner Matthias Van Woensel. Mabry emphasized that the startup is an asset-focused company with drugs near the clinic — a profile investors have favored over the last few years of a moribund biotech sector. “We’re an asset company, a pipeline company — we’re not a platform technology company,” Mabry said. “That really changes the way you can run a biotech company. It changes the way you use the capital.” Along with the investment funds, another key Hillstar backer is Hummingbird Bioscience, a Singapore-based biotech that originated about a decade ago and that has antibody and antibody-drug conjugate platforms. Earlier this month, Frazier and Novo Holdings backed an ADC spinout from Hummingbird called Callio Therapeutics . “They’ve been a great shareholder for us and so being able to leverage them as part of our development, but also gaining access to other technologies that provide a lot of insight into development, that’s been a great partnership for us,” Mabry said of Hummingbird.