Rexahn & BioSense Global Announce Collaboration & License Agreement

Rexahn Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and BioSense Global LLC recently announced a collaboration and license agreement to advance the development and commercialization of RX-3117 for pancreatic cancer and other cancers in Greater China.

Under the agreement, Rexahn will grant BioSense an exclusive license to develop and commercialize RX-3117 in Greater China. Rexahn will receive an upfront payment and will be eligible to receive additional development, regulatory, and commercial milestones up to a total of $226 million contingent on achieving regulatory and commercial goals related to pancreatic cancer and additional indications. Rexahn will also be eligible to receive tiered royalties in the low double digits to mid teens on annual net sales in the territory. The companies will collaborate to develop RX-3117 for pancreatic cancer and other indications. BioSense will fund all activities related to the development and commercialization of RX-3117 in Greater China and will initiate a Phase 2 study to evaluate the drug candidate in up to three additional indications not previously studied by Rexahn.

“Rexahn is focused on developing novel therapies for people with difficult-to-treat cancers. This partnership will enable us to extend the development of RX-3117 to patients in Greater China and also to evaluate RX-3117 in additional indications in collaboration with BioSense,” said Douglas Swirsky, President and CEO of Rexahn. “We are excited to work with the experienced regulatory and development team at BioSense to advance the development of RX-3117 towards regulatory approval in Greater China.”

Andy Li, PhD, President, and CEO of BioSense Global, added “We are delighted to partner with Rexahn to develop RX-3117 for the Greater China markets. Cancer is the leading cause of death in China with over 4 million new diagnoses and almost 3 million deaths per year. Prognosis is poor for certain cancers and treatment options are limited. Despite the significant success of immunotherapy, chemotherapy will remain a critical component of treatment regimens for many cancers. With its unique tumor-targeting mechanism, we believe RX-3117 could become a safer, more efficacious yet affordable treatment option to patients and doctors. We are excited to advance the development of RX-3117 for cancers that are especially prevalent among Chinese patients.”

Additional information on the collaboration and license agreement can be found in the Current Report on Form 8-K being filed by Rexahn today with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

RX-3117 is a novel, investigational, oral, small molecule nucleoside compound. Once intracellularly activated (phosphorylated) by UCK2, it is incorporated into the DNA or RNA of cells and inhibits both DNA and RNA synthesis, which induces apoptotic death of tumor cells. Due to the high level of over expression of UCK2 in cancer cells, RX-3117 offers the potential for a targeted anti-cancer therapy with an improved efficacy and safety profile. RX-3117 is currently being studied in a Phase 2a clinical trial in combination with Abraxane (paclitaxel protein-bound particles for injectable suspension) in first line metastatic pancreatic cancer patients and a Phase 2a clinical trial in patients with advanced or metastatic bladder cancer. It has received Orphan Drug designation for the treatment of pancreatic cancer. Additional information on RX-3117 can be found at: https://rexahn.com/cms/portfolio/rx-3117/.

Rexahn Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE American: RNN) is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing innovative therapies to improve patient outcomes in cancers that are difficult to treat. The Company’s mission is to improve the lives of cancer patients by developing next-generation cancer therapies that are designed to maximize efficacy while minimizing the toxicity and side effects traditionally associated with cancer treatment. Rexahn’s product candidates work by targeting and neutralizing specific proteins believed to be involved in the complex biological cascade that leads to cancer cell growth. Preclinical studies show that several of Rexahn’s product candidates may be effective against multiple types of cancer, including drug resistant cancers, difficult-to-treat cancers and others, may augment the effectiveness of current FDA-approved cancer treatments. The Company has two oncology product candidates, RX-3117 and RX-5902, in Phase 2 clinical development and additional compounds in preclinical development, including RX-0301. For more information, visit www.rexahn.com.

BioSense is an emerging biotech company established to address the business needs of the global biopharmaceutical market with a focus on China, Europe, and the U.S. The company is based in New Jersey (US) and Suzhou (China). The organization’s mission is to bridge the gap between undercapitalized biopharmaceutical projects, resources and markets to add value to its stakeholders and address significant unmet medical needs and bring affordable treatment options to patients. BioSense’s expert team of international biopharma executives and seasoned investors has extensive experience in developing, registering and commercializing some of the most successful products in key markets, including, US, Europe and China, plus the business management and cross-cultural knowledge. For more information, visit www.biosensegloballlc.com.