Arcede Pharma and Iconovo take the next step in the development of a new treatment for COPD

Arcede Pharma, which develops inhalation treatments for COPD and severe asthma, and Iconovo AB (publ), which develops complete inhalation products for a global market, announce today that the collaborative project around Arcede's drug candidate RCD405 is progressing with good results. The next step in the project is a technical stability study before the drug candidate can be tested clinically.

The project supported by SweLife is part of the previously communicated collaboration between Arcede Pharma, Iconovo and Lund University for the development of the drug candidate RCD405 primarily for the treatment of COPD.

Iconovo has been responsible for the formulation work and made adjustments that resulted in the formulation now being well suited for use in two of the company's inhaler platforms, ICOone® and ICOcap®, in a wide dose range from very low to very high doses.

"We are very happy that, together with Arcede Pharma, we have succeeded in developing a drug formulation that can be tested in a wide dose range in two different inhalers. It bodes well for the first clinical trials that can be started once a technical stability study has been carried out," says Johan Wäborg, CEO of Iconovo.

In parallel, Arcede Pharma has conducted a four-week toxicological study which shows that RCD405 is well tolerated.

"With the positive results from the toxicology study, we have now successfully completed all the regulatory toxicology studies required to take RCD405 forward to the clinical phase, which is a critical, as well as value-enhancing, step in our work to further progress the development of the project, and towards the goal of improving the treatment of patients with COPD," says Mia Lundblad, CEO of Arcede Pharma.

RCD405 is a drug candidate developed by Arcede Pharma primarily for the treatment of COPD. The treatment has both broncho-relaxing and anti-inflammatory properties, which distinguishes it from currently available treatments. The dual mechanism of action thus has the potential to both provide a better effect and affect the underlying disease.

ICOone® is a unique and patented dry powder inhaler intended for single use. The smart one-piece design provides an ultra-low manufacturing cost combined with simple and discreet use. The simple Open-Inhale design allows patients and health care personnel to learn to operate the inhaler with minimal training. ICOone® can deliver large inhalation doses that are well protected from moisture.

ICOcap® is an inhaler for drugs in capsules that are loaded one at a time. It has a robust and unique easy-to-grip design, a patented integrated mouthpiece cover and low inhalation resistance. ICOcap® has the same function and performance as the established inhaler Breezhaler® from Novartis.

About Arcede Pharma

Arcede Pharma's main project aims to develop a new type of inhalation treatment mainly for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) but also severe asthma, with the aim of improving the patients' quality of life and increasing their lifespan. Above all, COPD is a disease that has a major negative impact on patients and causes enormous suffering. Global mortality from these diseases is high and is also continuously increasing. For more information about Arcede Pharma, visit www.arcedepharma.com.

About Iconovo

Iconovo (Nasdaq First North Growth Market: ICO) is a highly specialized contract development (CDMO) company helping international pharmaceutical companies to develop new inhaled pharmaceutical products. Iconovo provides several types of patent-protected inhalers with significant commercial opportunities in the development of novel original products and at patent expirations for established pharmaceuticals. The most advanced project is a generic version of the asthma and COPD product Symbicort®, which is expected to reach the market in 2025. The revenues of Iconovo are generated from CDMO services, license agreements and direct product sales. The Certified Adviser is Erik Penser Bank AB, Box 7405, SE-103 91 Stockholm (+46 8 463 80 00, [email protected]).

About Swelife

Swelife supports collaboration between academia, business and healthcare with the goal of strengthening life science in Sweden and improving public health. It is a strategic innovation program that is financed by the government via the innovation agency Vinnova, the Energy Agency and the state research council for sustainable development Formas, as well as by the program's participating parties. For more information, visit www.swelife.se