Q Biomed Inc. Extends Its Exclusive Option Agreement with Washington University in St. Louis for a Novel Companion Biomarker for Monitoring Glaucoma and Initiates a Clinical Study

Q BioMed Inc. (OTCQB: QBIO), a commercial stage biotechnology acceleration development company is pleased to announce that it is extending its option agreement with Washington University in St. Louis. Under the agreement granting the exclusive right to license the technology, Q BioMed will continue to evaluate the feasibility and usability of GDF15, a novel biomarker for monitoring glaucoma, as a companion diagnostic to the MAN-01 small molecule currently being optimized for the topical treatment of glaucoma.

The extension allows for more extensive evaluation to be conducted on the feasibility and usability of GDF15 as a novel biomarker for glaucoma and companion diagnostic to, Q BioMed’s exclusively licensed technology, MAN-01. Dr. Arsham Sheybani, Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology and Dr. Rajendra S. Apte, the Paul A. Cibis Distinguished Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, will conduct a study planned to take place at Washington University in St. Louis using GDF-15 to gather more clinical data on its feasibility and usability as a biomarker for monitoring glaucoma.

In the clinical study, the investigators will examine whether GDF-15 levels correlate with glaucoma severity and with adequate therapeutic response in patients undergoing glaucoma surgery. A primary goal of glaucoma surgeries is reducing IOP, as elevated IOP contributes to RGC death and vision loss. Therefore, in addition to measuring GDF-15 levels, they will also record IOP measured before surgery and at the follow-up. IOP measurement is done at each visit as part of usual care of the patient. These independent studies will provide valuable insights regarding the role of GDF-15 that can inform future clinical studies.

Denis Corin, Q BioMed CEO said, “We are very pleased to be taking this project one step further.  We believe that Q BioMed is uniquely positioned to address the marketable demand for novel, breakthrough, precision medicine tools to treat glaucoma.  This GDF-15 diagnostic, combined with our MAN-01 drug to treat glaucoma, will be a powerful combination: improving the decision-making tools for clinicians, while making a positive impact on the health of glaucoma patients.”