Q: What have been Mironid’s key achievements this year?
A: Our key achievement has been the nomination of our development candidate for ADPKD (Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease). We are now working incredibly hard to progress this candidate through formal pre-clinical toxicology studies and safety pharmacology with a view to moving into the clinic in mid-2025. This will be a significant milestone in developing our first-in-class LoAc® therapeutics for ADPKD, a condition affecting over 12 million people worldwide. Current treatment options are limited and we believe our approach could offer new hope and potential for a significantly better quality of life for patients and their families.
Q: How has Mironid engaged with the scientific community this year?
A: We’ve worked closely with key organisations including Kidney Research UK and the PKD Foundation throughout the year to raise awareness of our novel therapeutic approach, including members of the Mironid team taking part in a Tough Mudder event together to raise funds and awareness for the PKD Foundation earlier in the year. We also attended the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference early in the year, which provided valuable opportunities to meet with pharmaceutical companies, biotech firms, and investors. More recently, we gave an important update on our progress at the American Society of Nephrology (ASN) meeting in San Diego in October, where we engaged with patients, scientists, clinicians, and industry representatives. These interactions have been crucial in communicating our progress and building understanding of how we plan to bring these novel therapies to the patient community.
Q: What trends have you observed in the kidney disease space?
A: We’re seeing increased interest in renal disease from major pharmaceutical companies, which is particularly encouraging given the historical lack of innovation and new products in this area. This surge in attention has been driven by changes in the regulatory environment, significant scientific breakthroughs, and notable deals and acquisitions in the space. This growing interest is especially important for the ADPKD community, given that 50% of ADPKD patients develop kidney failure by age 60, with very limited treatment options available. The increased focus from major industry players signals positive developments for patients with kidney disease.
Q: What are Mironid’s priorities for 2025?
A: Our primary focus is on maintaining momentum with our lead candidate ahead of starting clinical trials. Our LoAc® technology uniquely targets the aberrantly elevated kidney cAMP levels that drive cyst formation and swelling in ADPKD patients, activating long PDE4 isoforms to increase the breakdown of cAMP. We expect to submit regulatory filings and subsequently begin human trials by mid-2025 and also plan to create a number of different structurally distinct backup molecules to strengthen our position in this space. To support these activities, we will look to strengthen our financial position. As a patient-focused company led by an experienced team, we remain committed to delivering innovative therapeutics for unmet clinical needs.
Q: Looking back at what the team has accomplished this year, what are your thoughts?
A: I want to thank our incredible team at Mironid who continue to operate at exceptionally high standards. The team has produced very compelling pre-clinical data which validates our approach and importantly, supports our momentum. We’ve built a very strong, cohesive culture within Mironid, and the teams continued dedication and hard work has been crucial in getting us to this point. As we head into the new year, I am very proud of what we’ve achieved together thus far and am excited about the coming year and what we can continue to achieve together in 2025.