Press Release
Daré Bioscience Provides Update for Investors on Development Programs and Anticipated 2019 Milestones
Key anticipated 2019 clinical milestones:
- Topline results of Ovaprene® PCT clinical trial
- Initiation of at-home portion of Sildenafil Cream, 3.6% Phase 2b
- Initiation of pivotal Phase 3 study of DARE-BV1
“2018 was a year of substantial execution as we assembled a broad and differentiated pipeline of product candidates across women’s health,” stated
Added
Daré is committed to developing disruptive product candidates for women in the areas of sexual health, vaginal health, fertility, and contraception. The Company currently has three product candidates – including two potential first-in-class therapies – in late-stage development, with several others in earlier stages of development.
Late-stage clinical programs
Ovaprene® for non-hormonal contraception
- Ovaprene is a novel vaginal ring that has the potential to become the first hormone-free monthly contraceptive approved by the
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA ). - Ovaprene’s once-a-month format is designed to provide multiple weeks of contraceptive protection for the growing number of women seeking convenient, non-hormonal methods.
May 2018 : A post-coital test (PCT) clinical trial was initiated to assess the safety and activity of Ovaprene in women.- 2H 2019: Daré anticipates reporting topline data results from the PCT clinical trial.
- If effectiveness is demonstrated, Daré intends to prepare and file an Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) with the
FDA to commence a single pivotal clinical trial. This pivotal trial would be expected to support marketing approvals of Ovaprene in the U.S., the EU, and other regions worldwide.
Sildenafil Cream, 3.6% for female sexual arousal disorder
- Sildenafil Cream, 3.6%, referred to as “topical sildenafil,” is a proprietary, topical formulation of sildenafil, the active ingredient in Viagra®, and has the potential to become the first
FDA -approved product for female sexual arousal disorder (FSAD). Based on market research, an estimated 10 million women in the U.S. are actively seeking treatment for problems with sexual arousal. - Topical sildenafil is designed to increase blood flow to the vulvar-vaginal tissue in women, leading to potential improvement in their genital arousal response and overall sexual experience.
- Q4 2018: A Phase 2b program was initiated with the commencement of a content validity study.
- 2019: Daré expects to complete the content validity study in the first half of 2019. Following completion of this study and discussions with the
FDA regarding trial design, Daré expects to commence the at-home portion of the Phase 2b study in the second half of 2019.
DARE-BV1 for bacterial vaginosis
- DARE-BV1 (formerly MP-101) is a proprietary solution-to-gel formulation containing clindamycin, an antibiotic used to treat certain bacterial infections, including bacterial vaginosis (BV). Current
FDA -approved therapies for BV have a clinical cure rate of less than 70 percent, despite BV being the most common cause of vaginal infections for women ages 15-44.
- DARE-BV1 is engineered to be administered in a single vaginal dose with a dual release pattern to prolong the duration of exposure to clindamycin at the site of infection and to potentially improve the rate of effectiveness. In a pilot study, DARE-BV1 demonstrated an 88 percent clinical cure rate after one administration.
- 2H 2019: Daré expects to commence a Phase 3 clinical study of DARE-BV1 in approximately 250 women in the second half of 2019 and, if the study is successful, to be in a position to file a new drug application with the
FDA in 2020.
Portfolio programs
Novel intravaginal ring technology for multiple uses
- Daré’s intravaginal ring (IVR) technology is designed to allow for sustained drug delivery over time periods ranging from weeks to months. The novel technology was developed by Dr.
Robert Langer from theMassachusetts Institute of Technology andDr. William Crowley fromMassachusetts General Hospital andHarvard Medical School . - Daré’s lead IVR candidate, DARE-HRT1, is a combination natural estradiol and natural progesterone ring to treat vasomotor symptoms (VMS) associated with menopause as part of a hormone replacement therapy regimen. There are currently no
FDA -approved IVRs that deliver natural progesterone in combination with natural estradiol. - 2019: Daré intends to initiate and report topline results of a Phase 1/2a clinical study for DARE-HRT1, which has the potential to be a first-in-class product. Daré can leverage its wholly-owned Australian subsidiary by conducting the Phase 1/2a study in
Australia , which is expected to result in a cash rebate of approximately 40% of the research expenses incurred inAustralia , thus lowering the effective cost of the Phase 1/2a program.
DARE-VVA1 for vulvar and vaginal atrophy
- DARE-VVA1 is a vaginally-delivered formulation of tamoxifen for the treatment of vulvar and vaginal atrophy (VVA) in women diagnosed with or being treated for hormone receptor positive breast cancer. Currently, there are no
FDA -approved products indicated for VVA treatment in this population. - 2019: Daré intends to pursue formulation activities for DARE-VVA1.
Contraception innovation
- Injectable hormonal contraceptives are designed to provide discreet, non-invasive protection over several months. ORB-204 and ORB-214 are injectable etonogestrel contraceptive candidates with 6- and 12-month durations, respectively. There are currently no
FDA -approved injectable contraceptives indicated to provide protection beyond three months. This program is Daré’s first partnership to leverage funds and development work previously supported by investment from the non-profit development and donor community. - CatSper is a well-studied target for contraception. The CatSper target provides the potential to develop the first non-hormonal contraceptive products that could be used by both men and women. Daré is seeking grant funding to support its DARE-RH1 program to fund the advancement of a pharmaceutical candidate to inhibit this target.
For more information on Daré’s portfolio, including additional, early-stage candidates for contraception, please visit: https://www.darebioscience.com/pipeline.
About Daré Bioscience
Daré Bioscience is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company committed to the advancement of innovative products for women’s sexual health, vaginal health, fertility, and contraception. The company’s mission is to identify, develop and bring to market a portfolio of novel, differentiated therapies that expand treatment options, improve outcomes and facilitate convenience for women in the areas of contraception, vaginal health, sexual health, and fertility.
Daré’s product portfolio includes potential first-in-class candidates in clinical development: Ovaprene®, a non-hormonal, monthly contraceptive vaginal ring; and Sildenafil Cream, 3.6%, a potential treatment for female sexual arousal disorder utilizing the active ingredient in Viagra®, as well as a proprietary solution-to-gel formulation of clindamycin to treat bacterial vaginosis via a single application, DARE-BV1. To learn more about Daré’s full portfolio of women’s health product candidates, and mission to deliver novel therapies for women, please visit www.darebioscience.com.
Daré may announce material information about its finances, product candidates, clinical trials and other matters using its investor relations website (http://ir.darebioscience.com), SEC filings, press releases, public conference calls and webcasts. Daré uses these channels to communicate with its investors and the public about the company and other company-related matters. The information Daré posts on its investor relations website may be deemed to be material information. Daré encourages investors, the media, and others interested in the company to review the information Daré posts on its investor relations website.
Forward-Looking Statements
Daré cautions you that all statements, other than statements of historical facts, contained in this press release, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements, in some cases, can be identified by terms such as “believe,” “may,” “will,” “estimate,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “design,” “intend,” “expect,” “could,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “seek,” “should,” “would,” “contemplate,” project,” “target,” “tend to,” or the negative version of these words and similar expressions. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements relating to the potential for Ovaprene and DARE-BV1 to receive
Contacts:
Investors on behalf of Daré Bioscience, Inc.:
Burns McClellan
agray@burnsmc.com
212-213-0006
Source: Daré Bioscience, Inc.
Source: Dare Bioscience, Inc.