Oral presentation provides final results from 93-patient Phase 2a trial and additional interim data from open label extension trial
Imara to host conference call and live webcast on June 11, 2021 at 8:00 a.m. ET
BOSTON, June 04, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Imara Inc. (Nasdaq: IMRA), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing and commercializing novel therapeutics to treat patients suffering from rare inherited genetic disorders of hemoglobin, today announced that it will present Phase 2a clinical trial and Phase 2a open label extension trial results of IMR-687 in adults with sickle cell disease at the European Hematology Association (EHA) Annual Congress to be held virtually June 9-17, 2021.
“We look forward to sharing final data from our 93-patient Phase 2a clinical trial as well as additional interim data from the ongoing open label extension trial of IMR-687 in adults with sickle cell disease,” said Rahul Ballal, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Imara. “These data expand upon the topline Phase 2a trial results presented earlier this year in which IMR-687 was shown to be well tolerated and in which promising reductions in rates of vaso-occlusive crises were observed along with variable changes in fetal hemoglobin. We will also report interim results from patients with at least 8 months of treatment in the long-term open label extension trial, where we have previously shown that 200mg daily dosing of IMR-687 was well tolerated and in which increases in fetal hemoglobin and F-cells were observed.”
The accepted abstract is listed below and is available online on the EHA meeting library website. The oral presentation with updated data can be accessed on demand by registered meeting attendees on the EHA Virtual Congress platform as of Friday, June 11 at 3:00 a.m. ET (9:00 a.m. CEST) and a copy of the presentation will also be available on the Investors section of the Imara website.
Title: The Safety, Pharmacokinetics & Pharmacodynamic Effects of IMR-687, a Highly-Selective PDE9 Inhibitor, In Adults with Sickle Cell Disease: Phase-2A Placebo-Controlled & Open-Label Extension Studies
Live Q&A Session Date and Time: Tuesday, June 15, 2021 from 10:00 - 10:45 a.m. ET (4:00 - 4:45 p.m. CEST)
Oral Abstract Session: Changing the scene on sickle cell disease
Abstract: S263
Presenter: Biree Andemariam, M.D., Associate Professor at UConn School of Medicine and Director of the New England Sickle Cell Institute at UConn Health
Conference Call Information
Imara will host a conference call and live webcast on Friday, June 11, 2021 at 8:00 a.m. ET. The live webcast will be available under “Events and Presentations” in the Investors section of the company's website. The conference call can be accessed by dialing +1 (833) 519-1307 (U.S. domestic) or +1 (914) 800-3873 (international) and referring to conference ID 6979424. A replay of the webcast will be archived on the Imara website following the presentation.
About IMR-687
IMR-687 is a highly selective and potent small molecule inhibitor of PDE9. PDE9 uniquely degrades cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP), an active signaling molecule that plays a role in vascular biology. Lower levels of cGMP are often found in people with sickle cell disease and beta-thalassemia and are associated with impaired blood flow, increased inflammation, greater cell adhesion and reduced nitric oxide-mediated vasodilation.
Blocking PDE9 acts to increase cGMP levels, which are associated with reactivation of fetal hemoglobin, or HbF, a natural hemoglobin produced during fetal development. Increased levels of HbF in red blood cells have been demonstrated to improve symptomology and lower disease burden in patients with sickle cell disease and patients with beta-thalassemia. IMR-687 is designed to have a multimodal mechanism of action that acts on red blood cells, white blood cells, adhesion mediators, and other cell types.
About Imara
Imara Inc. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company dedicated to developing and commercializing novel therapeutics to treat patients suffering from rare inherited genetic disorders of hemoglobin. Imara is currently advancing IMR-687, a highly selective, potent small molecule inhibitor of PDE9 that is an oral, once-a-day, potentially disease-modifying treatment for sickle cell disease and beta-thalassemia. IMR-687 is being designed to have a multimodal mechanism of action that acts on red blood cells, white blood cells, adhesion mediators and other cell types. For more information, please visit www.imaratx.com.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Statements in this press release about future expectations, plans and prospects, as well as any other statements regarding matters that are not historical facts, may constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements relating to the Company’s plans to present data on the Phase 2a and OLE clinical trials of IMR-687 in patients with sickle cell disease at the EHA Annual Congress and the quality of such data. The words “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “target,” “will,” “would” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including: the impact of extraordinary external events, such as the risks and uncertainties resulting from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Company’s business, operations, strategy, goals and anticipated milestones, and other factors discussed in the “Risk Factors” section of the Company’s most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, which is on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission and in other filings that the Company makes with the Securities and Exchange Commission in the future. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date hereof, and the Company expressly disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Media Contact:
Marin Bergman
Ten Bridge Communications
818-516-2746
Marin@tenbridgecommunications.com
Investor Contact:
Michael Gray
617-835-4061
mgray@imaratx.com