Scopus BioPharma Inc. (SCPS)

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**ATTENTION PLEASE - NEWS OUT**

https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/scopus-biopharma-subsidiary-duet-biotherapeutics-003000841.html

Scopus BioPharma Inc.

Alan Horsager, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Duet, to Present on
TLR9 Activation and STAT3 Inhibition: A Bifunctional Approach to Immuno-Oncology

NEW YORK, March 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Scopus BioPharma Inc. (Nasdaq: “SCPS”), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing transformational therapeutics for serious diseases with significant unmet medical need, today announced that Alan Horsager, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Duet BioTherapeutics, will present at the 3rd Annual STING & TLR-Targeting Therapies Summit, to be held virtually from March 22-24, 2022.

Duet BioTherapeutics is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Scopus. Dr. Horsager is also President — Immuno-Oncology of Scopus.

Dr. Horsager’s presentation will be part of the Rationale & Progress in Novel Methods of Targeting STING & TLR session. Dr. Horsager will present on TLR9 Activation and STAT3 Inhibition: A Bifunctional Approach to Immuno-Oncology.

Duet BioTherapeutics was launched in September 2021 by Scopus BioPharma to integrate the immunotherapy assets of Scopus and Olimmune, creating the Duet Platform. The Duet Platform relies on a novel approach to immuno-oncology with a suite of bifunctional oligonucleotides that activate antigen-presenting cells (APCs) within the tumor microenvironment, while alleviating tumor immunosuppression to jump-start T cell-mediated immune responses. The unique mechanism-of-action of these synthetic oligonucleotides comes from simultaneously targeting two intracellular immune pathways – signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), a master immune checkpoint inhibitor, and toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9). The targeted inhibition of STAT3 reawakens immune cells and allows for the full potential of TLR9-driven innate and adaptive immune responses.

The Duet Platform is comprised of three distinctive complementary CpG-STAT3 inhibitors:

RNA silencing



CpG-STAT3siRNA


(“DUET-01”)

Antisense



CpG-STAT3ASO


(“DUET-02”)

DNA-binding inhibitor



CpG-STAT3decoy


(“DUET-03”)

DUET-01 is in a Phase 1 clinical trial, as a monotherapy, for B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Duet expects to file an IND for DUET-02 in Q4 2022 in advanced solid malignancies, with clinical Phase 1 trials beginning in Q1 2023 in the United States. Duet is also evaluating combination therapies with checkpoint inhibitors.