· Diabetic eye diseases are the leading cause of blindness in the working age population

· VX-01is an oral therapy – current treatments require regular invasive intravitreal injections and intervene at advanced stages of disease

· Set to commence Phase 2 clinical trial mid-2024

· VX-01 targets the neurovascular inflammatory events that are believed to result in microvascular sequalae, and thus offers the promise of early intervention to modify or halt disease progression

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London, UK – July 19, 2023- Vantage Biosciences, a new company launched by ALSA Ventures which invests in novel therapeutics for unmet medical needs, is pleased to announce the acquisition of lead assetVX-01, an oral therapy targeting diabetic eye diseases, set to enter Phase 2 clinical development in mid-2024.

Diabetic eye disease is the leading cause of blindness in working age people and affects1 in 3 people with diabetes – more than 382 million people worldwide. It typically develops 5-6 years after diabetes onset.

The current standard of care for diabetic eye disease is an array of anti-VEGF drugs which target the microvascular sequalae that emerge in later stage disease and require regular invasive intravitreal injections. Vantage Biosciences aims to provide an innovative oral treatment that is anticipated to interrupt chronic, low-grade inflammation of the neurovascular unit of the eye induced by diabetes, thereby abrogating the resulting microvascular angiopathy.

"We are excited to launch Vantage Biosciences and progress VX-01 into Phase 2trials with the promise to provide a significant advance in an area of unmet need for the treatment of diabetic eye diseases," stated Alek Safarian, ALSA Ventures’ Managing Partner.

“Our aim is to further develop VX-01 therapy as an oral intervention that has the potential to prevent or modify disease progression. By intervening early, before irreversible damage occurs, VX-01 could significantly reduce the burden of diabetic eye diseases and preserve vision in patients at risk.”

The first Phase 2 trial, scheduled to commence enrolment by mid-2024, will target early-stage disease, in diabetic populations.

If successful, VX-01 could emerge as a game-changing therapy, offering a more convenient and effective alternative to existing treatments.

ENDS

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For media inquiries, please contact:

David James

Digital Mantra Group

Team@dmgpr.com

About Vantage Biosciences

Vantage Biosciences is targeting the root cause of vision loss resulting from diabetes– the neuroinflammatory insult that precedes microangiopathy and leads to degeneration of the neurovascular unit of the eye.

Our mission is to enable patient access to disease modifying therapy for diabetic eye disease by developing drugs that intervene at the earliest point of disease biology.

For further information please visit https://www.vantage-biosciences.com/

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About ALSA Ventures

ALSA Ventures is an early-stage investor in life sciences. The firm is building a portfolio of companies founded on innovative insights into disease treatment where current therapeutic options are either limited on non-existent. We work with a broad global network of preclinical and clinical experts to gain deep understanding of translationally relevant disease biology and then leverage the team’s collective knowledge and operational experience to identify opportunities for drug intervention.

Our focus is to improve patient outcomes by unlocking the full potential of clinical stage assets.  As we continue to grow our portfolio, our mission remains clear: to bring life-changing therapies to patients worldwide.

For further information, please visit https://www.alsaventures.com/.

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