Trillium raises $1 million to advance TTI-1612 into clinical trials for interstitial cystitis treatment

A new and innovative approach to the treatment of interstitial cystitis

Trillium Therapeutics Inc., a privately-held biopharmaceutical company, announced today that it has raised $1 million from a new undisclosed investor. The funds will be used to advance its lead program, TTI-1612, into clinical trials for the treatment of interstitial cystitis (IC), also known as bladder pain syndrome. The first trial is projected to start in the second half of this year.

"We are very excited about this new investment, since it will allow us to transform Trillium into a clinical company, while continuing to advance our broad preclinical immunoregulatory platform", commented Trillium CEO, Dr. Niclas Stiernholm. "Adding to last August's $2 million round from our existing shareholders, this new investment is timely and critical for the company's future. With clinical data in hand by year end, we should gain wider access to new capital, as well as to potential pharma partners, in 2012."

Interstitial cystitis is a chronic, debilitating and poorly treated bladder disease affecting millions of women in the US alone. It is believed to develop as a result of dysfunction in the protective epithelial layer lining the bladder. TTI-1612, a locally-delivered recombinant growth factor, is being developed to correct this dysfunction and restore the bladder epithelium to a normal, healthy state. Working with a premier advisory group of leading urologists, Trillium is in the final stages of completing the preclinical toxicology studies required for testing in humans, and plans to submit a clinical trial application later this year. The company intends to secure additional financing and/or a development partner prior to the start of randomized phase II studies in 2012.

"Remarkably little progress has been made in developing effective treatments for IC, and patients and physicians are desperately seeking new therapeutic approaches", added Dr. Bob Uger, Trillium's Vice President R&D. "TTI-1612 is aimed at correcting the underlying cause of IC, and is arguably one of the most innovative therapeutics currently under development for this disease. This program could fundamentally alter how IC is treated and have a significant impact on millions of patients' lives."

Source: TRILLIUM THERAPEUTICS INC.