• Arecor awarded £1.05M from Innovate UK to support the advancement of its diabetes glucagon product towards clinical trials.
• Prototype liquid glucagon product shows stability and commercial viability.
• Partnership with Innovate UK to accelerate pre-clinical asset towards proof-of-concept & first-in-human trials.

Arecor Ltd (“the Company”), a UK-based leading formulation technology company, focussed on developing superior biopharmaceuticals via the innovative reformulation of proteins and peptides enabling the improved treatment of diabetes and other conditions, is pleased to announce that it has been awarded a £1.05 million grant from InnovateUK* to advance the Company's proprietary stable liquid glucagon product, towards proof-of-concept Phase 1 clinical trials.**

Arecor's liquid glucagon is an important addition to its speciality diabetes pipeline and will offer a vastly superior glucagon rescue treatment for severe hypoglycaemia and may have further applications in enabling dual hormone artificial pancreas systems. Glucagon is a life-saving emergency treatment used to treat dangerously low blood glucose levels known as severe hypoglycaemia. Unfortunately, due to its low solubility and stability in liquid solution, Glucagon is currently only available as a powder for reconstitution, which in this highly stressful situation, can lead to handling errors, and critically, delayed administration. Utilising its formulation technology, Arecor has developed a stable liquid glucagon product that enables a ready-to-inject version of the product to be given to people living with type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

With support from InnovateUK, Arecor intends to accelerate the progression of this asset through its pre-clinical development and IND enabling studies. Once this study has completed, Arecor will be ready to move into Phase 1 human trials.

Dr Sarah Howell, CEO of Arecor Limited, commented:
"We are delighted to receive this prestigious award from Innovate UK which will support the acceleration of our proprietary glucagon rescue treatment towards the clinic and first-in-human Phase 1 trials. Using Arecor’s technology, we have been able to solve the very significant and elusive formulation challenge of developing a stable liquid glucagon product that will enable us to deliver a ready-to-use pen to ‘rescue’ a hypo more quickly and effectively. From our work with the JDRF and patient groups, we are confident that our development of a ready-to-inject liquid rescue glucagon solution has the potential to significantly improve and simplify the administration of this life saving treatment and reduce a major source of anxiety for those living with type 1 and 2 diabetes".

 * Innovate UK is the UK’S innovation agency seeking to find and drive science and technology innovations that will grow the UK economy and to work with companies to de-risk, enable and support innovation. Its funding programme is awarded in a competitive process. Since 2007 InnovateUK has committed over £1.8 billion to innovation, matched by a similar amount in partner and business funding.

**Arecor were awarded Early Stage funding in the Biomedical Catalyst 2016 competition. The results of this competition have been published on the web https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/innovate-uk-funding-competitionwinners-2016"