Conduit Pharmaceuticals Partners With ClinConnect on Cocrystal Development Program

Conduit Pharmaceuticals Inc. recently announced a partnership with ClinConnect, a first-of-its-kind platform redefining how patients and clinical trials find each other, to conduct a cocrystal development program to evaluate Conduit’s AZD1656 compound.

AZD1656 is a molecule with potential treatment applications currently in a wide variety of autoimmune disorders. The cocrystal program will seek to identify, characterize, and validate suitable cocrystal partners for AZD1656 to solve for current challenges associated with solubility, stability, and bioavailability. Pharmaceutical cocrystals may improve vital physicochemical characteristics of a drug, including solubility, dissolution, bioavailability, and stability of pharmaceutical compounds, while maintaining its therapeutic activity.

“Working with ClinConnect to develop this cocrystal program and advance AZD1656 was a natural fit. Together, we hope to move this compound forward faster than through traditional channels and with the same scientific rigor,” said Dr. David Tapolczay, Chief Executive Officer of Conduit. “AZD1656 has shown promise in early studies already conducted by AstraZeneca, and we are thrilled at its potential. We’re proud to act swiftly in pursuit of our goal of offering a leaner, more efficient, and effective pathway to advance compelling assets for patients.”

Conduit Pharmaceuticals departs from the traditional business model of shepherding assets through an entire commercial lifecycle. Instead, Conduit, which went public on the Nasdaq in September 2023, acquires assets that have already undergone some pre-clinical and clinical testing, working to accelerate them through Phase 2 trials and, if successful through Phase 2 trials, intends to seek exits through third-party license deals.

“This partnership is a significant milestone for ClinConnect and is directly in line with our mission to build the bridge between patients and the treatments they deserve access to,” said Robert Maxwell, Founder and Chief Executive Officer at ClinConnect. “Conduit’s model is particularly inspiring for us, as it works creatively to help ensure that assets that can save patient lives will not sit on the shelf. Through our work together, we hope to accelerate potential care for patients who could benefit from this molecule and others, potentially enabling access to life-saving innovations earlier.”

Conduit is a disease-agnostic life science company providing an efficient model for compound development. Conduit is a departure from the traditional pharma/biotech business model whereby, typically, companies shepherd their assets through regulatory approval. Conduit acquires Phase 2-ready assets and then seeks an exit through third-party license deals following successful clinical trials. Conduit is led by a highly experienced team of pharmaceutical executives, including Dr. David Tapolczay and Dr. Freda Lewis-Hall, and was established to fund the development of clinical molecules licensed from major pharmaceutical companies.

ClinConnect is a technology company redefining how patients and clinical trials find each other. The company’s platform, an easy-to-navigate, real-time map of every trial known to the FDA, proactively matches patients and their care teams to relevant studies across the US. By breaking down the barriers many face when fighting disease, ClinConnect increases the probability of finding life-changing clinical trials, notifying those eligible, and helping them through the application process. ClinConnect aims to ensure patients have better access to the care they deserve, to accelerate clinical trial enrollment from months to days, and to enable faster drug development and medical innovation. For more information, visit https://clinconnect.io/.