Entero Therapeutics announces proposed reverse merger with Journey Therapeutics

Entero Therapeutics (ENTO) has entered into a binding term sheet for a reverse merger transaction with Journey Therapeutics. Upon completion of the Proposed Merger, the shareholders of Journey will acquire 99% of the equity of Entero. The combined company is expected to operate under the name Journey Therapeutics, Inc., and will apply for continued trading on The Nasdaq Capital Market. The completion of the Proposed Merger is subject to several conditions, including the negotiation of definitive agreements, the receipt by Entero of at least $5 million of equity financing, the effectiveness of a registration statement to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and the approval of the stockholders of Entero. Following the completion of the Proposed Merger, the new entity would be under the leadership of Henry Ji, Ph.D., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Journey Therapeutics. It is contemplated that the combined company will prioritize advancing Journey’s first-in-class, next-gen NIC product candidates targeting gynecological cancers, advanced non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and other difficult to treat cancers, alongside Entero’s existing clinical assets. These existing assets include a latiglutenase, a pioneering oral biotherapeutic for celiac disease, adrulipase, a recombinant lipase enzyme for cystic fibrosis and chronic pancreatitis, and capeserod, a selective 5HT-4 receptor partial agonist, all of which would continue undergoing clinical development. Journey is a clinical-stage, biopharmaceutical company pioneering advanced cancer therapies that leverage nanotechnology and immunotherapy. Rivalling antibody-drug conjugates, its NIC platform is designed to target tumors precisely, delivering therapeutic agents directly to cancer cells with minimal impact on surrounding healthy tissue. By combining nanotechnology with immunoconjugates, Journey has developed technology that permits modular antibody-based targeting and tailored chemotherapeutic selection, potentially leading to more effective and less toxic treatment of a variety of cancer types. This innovative approach holds tremendous promise for the future of precision oncology. As described by the inventor, Svetomir N. Markovic, M.D., Ph.D., the NIC platform seeks to usher the next generation of antibody-drug complex therapeutics to enable simultaneous multi-drug delivery to multiple cancer targets. Early, Phase 1 clinical data with two prototype NICs engineered to treat end-stage metastatic ovarian/endometrial cancer or non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma have shown highly encouraging results in clinical efficacy and safety.