Haoma Medica announced today the completion of a first-in-human trial for 
NaQuinate, a naphthoquinone carboxylic acid, which is being developed as a 
novel orally administered therapeutic for osteoporosis.  

The first-in-human trial initiated last year in healthy adults studied single 
and multiple doses of NaQuinate. The primary objective was to assess the 
safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics.

"We are delighted that the first-in-human study has completed its last dosing. 
There were no significant safety or tolerability concerns up to the highest 
doses tested which underlines our expectation that NaQuinate is safe and well 
tolerated," said Dr Cenk Oguz, Haoma Medica's Chief Medical Officer.

"Our pre-clinical research has revealed an exciting feature of NaQuinate where 
it appears to have the capacity to work in harmony with the body's natural 
response to weight bearing exercise to synergistically enhance bone formation 
when and where required – now that would be a 'smart' drug," said Dr Steve 
Deacon, Haoma Medica's CEO. "Together with the safety data from this 
first-in-human study, this supports the potential that NaQuinate treatment 
could provide a safe, novel and smart therapeutic approach to bone disorders 
like osteoporosis and better maintain healthy skeletal aging." 

About NaQuinate

Previous studies have shown NaQuinate to protect against reduction in bone 
quality and quantity that occurs in response to ovariectomy in rodent models.  
In a mechanical mouse loading model, a surrogate for weight-bearing exercise, 
NaQuinate synergistically enhanced the body's normal response to loading by 
forming bone, targeting relevant cortical bone regions. This synergistic 
interaction between NaQuinate and mechanical loading suggests the functional 
use of bones' mechanostat, a term which describes how mechanical loading 
affects bone structure, in the regulation of bone mass and architecture. 
NaQuinate is currently being evaluated using a curative model of osteoporosis 
versus a bisphosphonate and a loading model versus an anabolic; results are 
expected early next year. 

About Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a silent disease often not presenting with any signs or 
symptoms until a fracture occurs. It thus remains an underdiagnosed and 
undertreated disease. 

Osteoporosis results in bone loss and changes in bone quality and strength that 
occurs through the normal aging process leading to fragile bones. Fragile bones 
lead to fractures, which progresses into a downward spiral of disability, loss 
of independence and increased mortality with considerable social and economic 
burden. Fragility fractures are a major obstacle to healthy aging. Worldwide 
there is a fragility fracture every 3 seconds.

According to the International Osteoporosis Foundation, about 200 million 
suffer from the disease worldwide. A combined lifetime risk of fractures is 40% 
and is equivalent to the risk of cardiovascular disease. In women over 45 years 
of age, osteoporosis results in more time in hospitals that many other diseases 
such as breast cancer, heart attacks, and diabetes. 

About Haoma Medica  

Haoma Medica is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on the 
development of therapeutics to maintain bone and vascular health. 

For more information, please visit www.haomamedica.com 

Investor Relations Contact:

Name: Carmen Greco                                                    
e-mail: carmen.greco@haomamedica.com          


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Source: Haoma Medica