Drug development company Poolbeg Pharma (AIM: POLB) (OTCQB: POLBF) announced on Tuesday that it has entered into a strategic collaboration with a Nasdaq-listed biopharma company to develop an optimized oral drug for a metabolic condition using Poolbeg's licensed oral delivery technology.

The agreement includes funding for producing a prototype drug, aiming to enhance the delivery of the partner's novel drug to its therapeutic site. Poolbeg is optimistic about the collaboration evolving into a full licensing agreement, integrating the oral delivery technology into the biopharma's pipeline. This collaboration signifies a crucial step for Poolbeg towards early revenues and reinforces its commitment to advancing treatments for metabolic conditions.

Poolbeg Pharma specialises in innovative medicines for infectious and prevalent diseases, employing a disciplined portfolio approach to accelerate drug development. The company targets the growing infectious disease market, which is projected to exceed USD250bn by 2025.

With access to assets from hVIVO plc, Poolbeg leverages over 20 years of human challenge trial data, progressing programs in oncology and metabolic syndromes. Notable assets include POLB 001, a small molecule immunomodulator for severe influenza, POLB 002, an intranasally administered RNA-based immunotherapy and POLB 003, a vaccine candidate for Melioidosis. Poolbeg Pharma utilizes AI for target identification, asset acquisition and pipeline expansion, showcasing a diverse and promising portfolio.