LONDON, April 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mereo BioPharma Group plc (NASDAQ: MREO) (“Mereo” or the “Company”), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on rare diseases, today announced that Dr. Denise Scots-Knight, Chief Executive Officer, will participate in a Fireside Chat at the 23rd Annual Needham Virtual Healthcare Conference on Tuesday, April 9, 2024, at 10:15am ET / 03:15pm BST.

A live audio webcast of the presentation can be accessed through the Investors section of the Company’s website at www.mereobiopharma.com/investors. An archived replay of the webcast will be available on the Company’s website for two weeks following the live event.

About Mereo BioPharma

Mereo BioPharma is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of innovative therapeutics for rare diseases. The Company has two rare disease product candidates, setrusumab for the treatment of osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) and alvelestat primarily for the treatment of severe alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency-associated lung disease (AATD-LD). The Company’s partner, Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical, Inc., has initiated the Phase 3 portion of a pivotal Phase 2/3 pediatric study in young adults (5 to <26 years old) for setrusumab in OI and a Phase 3 study in pediatric patients (2 to <7 years old) in the first half of 2023. The partnership with Ultragenyx includes potential milestone payments of up to $245 million (following the recent $9 million milestone) and royalties to Mereo on commercial sales in Ultragenyx territories. Mereo has retained EU and UK commercial rights and will pay Ultragenyx royalties on commercial sales in those territories. Setrusumab has received orphan designation for osteogenesis imperfecta from the EMA and FDA, PRIME designation from the EMA and has pediatric disease designation from the FDA. Alvelestat has received U.S. Orphan Drug Designation for the treatment of AATD, Fast Track designation from the FDA. Following results from ASTRAEUS and ATALANTa in AATD-lung disease, the Company has aligned with the FDA and the EMA on the primary endpoints for a Phase 3 pivotal study which if successful could enable full approval in both the US and Europe. In addition to the rare disease programs, Mereo has two oncology product candidates in clinical development. Etigilimab (anti-TIGIT) has completed a Phase 1b/2 basket study evaluating its safety and efficacy in combination with an anti-PD-1 in a range of tumor types including three rare tumors and three gynecological carcinomas – cervical, ovarian, and endometrial and is an ongoing Phase 1b/2 investigator led study at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in clear cell ovarian cancer; Navicixizumab, for the treatment of late line ovarian cancer, has completed a Phase 1 study and has been partnered with Feng Biosciences Inc. in a global licensing agreement that includes milestone payments of up to $300 million and royalties. Mereo has entered into an exclusive global license agreement with ReproNovo SA for the development and commercialization of leflutrozole, a non-steroidal aromatase inhibitor. Under the terms of the agreement, ReproNovo, a reproductive medicine company, is responsible for all future development and commercialization of leflutrozole and Mereo is eligible to receive milestone payments of up to $64.3 million and royalties.

For more information on Mereo BioPharma, please visit www.mereobiopharma.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains “forward-looking statements” that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. All statements other than statements of historical fact contained herein are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements usually relate to future events and anticipated revenues, earnings, cash flows or other aspects of our operations or operating results. Forward-looking statements are often identified by the words “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “plan,” “intend,” “foresee,” “should,” “would,” “could,” “may,” “estimate,” “outlook” and similar expressions, including the negative thereof. The absence of these words, however, does not mean that the statements are not forward-looking. These forward-looking statements are based on the Company’s current expectations, beliefs and assumptions concerning future developments and business conditions and their potential effect on the Company. While management believes that these forward-looking statements are reasonable as and when made, there can be no assurance that future developments affecting the Company will be those that it anticipates.

All of the Company’s forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties some of which are significant or beyond its control and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company’s historical experience and its present expectations or projections. Such risks and uncertainties include, among others, the uncertainties inherent in the clinical development process; the Company’s reliance on third parties to conduct and provide funding for its clinical trials; the Company’s dependence on enrollment of patients in its clinical trials; and the Company’s dependence on its key executives. You should carefully consider the foregoing factors and the other risks and uncertainties that affect the Company’s business, including those described in the “Risk Factors” section of its Annual Report on Form 10-K, as well as discussions of potential risks, uncertainties, and other important factors in the Company’s subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company wishes to caution you not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any of our forward-looking statements after the date they are made, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except to the extent required by law.