TURKU, FINLAND – Faron Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (AIM: FARN, First North: FARON), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on tackling cancers through novel immunological pathways, today announced the acceptance of two studies involving its lead candidate, bexmarilimab, for presentation at the 19th IUIS International Congress of Immunology in Vienna, Austria, from August 17-22, 2025.

The oral presentation will feature new translational data from the Phase 1/2 BEXMAB clinical study in myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). The second study, accepted as a poster, details the identification of secreted Clever-1 (sClever-1) as a key driver of immune suppression and immunotherapy resistance. Together, these presentations underscore the growing body of evidence supporting bexmarilimab’s mechanism of action.  

The oral presentation, entitled ‘Dual Mechanisms of Clever-1 Inhibition with Bexmarilimab Plus Azacitidine in Myelodysplastic Syndrome: Translational Insights from the Phase 1/2 BEXMAB Study,’ will be presented by Faron’s Chief Scientific Officer, Dr. Maija Hollmén. The BEXMAB study is a Phase I/II trial investigating bexmarilimab with standard of care in patients with aggressive hematological malignancies. The study provides insights into how directly targeting the Clever-1 receptor, which is highly expressed in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and MDS, ignite an immune response, and make current treatments more effective.  

Dr. Maija Hollmén, senior author of both studies, MediCity Research Laboratory and InFLAMES Flagship, University of Turku, Turku, Finland, said, “The BEXMAB data provides translational insights into bexmarilimab’s dual impact in a clinical setting, while our sClever-1 findings elucidate a fundamental mechanism of systemic immune suppression. Showing that bexmarilimab can block sClever-1 release suggests our drug candidate fights cancer on two fronts: reprogramming macrophages locally and preventing this inhibitory molecule’s systemic effects. We look forward to sharing these insights with the global scientific community.”  

The research accepted for a poster presentation and also published in the peer-reviewed journal Theranostics, ‘Secreted Clever-1 modulates T cell responses and impacts cancer immunotherapy efficacy,’ reveals that a soluble form of Clever-1 is significantly enriched in the blood of cancer patients. This circulating sClever-1 directly binds to and neutralizes activated T cells, impairing their ability to fight cancer. High levels of sClever-1 are associated with resistance to anti-PD-1 therapies. Importantly, the research demonstrates that bexmarilimab treatment can inhibit the release of sClever-1, highlighting a key and previously undescribed therapeutic mechanism.  

“Having two distinct and complementary datasets accepted at this prestigious congress is very encouraging and a testament to the depth of our research,” said Dr. Petri Bono, Chief Medical Officer of Faron. “High-risk MDS is associated with poor outcomes and therapy resistance. The BEXMAB study data demonstrates a dual mechanism of action in MDS, while sClever-1 research redraws a part of the cancer immunology map. These data provide a strong scientific rationale for why targeting Clever-1 is the right approach.”  

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About BEXMAB
The BEXMAB study is an open-label Phase I/II clinical trial investigating bexmarilimab in combination with standard of care (SoC) in the aggressive hematological malignancies of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). The primary objective is to determine the safety and tolerability of bexmarilimab in combination with SoC (azacitidine) treatment. Directly targeting Clever-1 could limit the replication capacity of cancer cells, increase antigen presentation, ignite an immune response, and allow current treatments to be more effective. Clever-1 is highly expressed in both AML and MDS and associated with therapy resistance, limited T cell activation and poor outcomes.

About bexmarilimab
Bexmarilimab is Faron’s wholly owned, investigational immunotherapy designed to overcome resistance to existing treatments and optimize clinical outcomes, by targeting myeloid cell function and igniting the immune system. Bexmarilimab binds to Clever-1, an immunosuppressive receptor found on macrophages leading to tumor growth and metastases (i.e. helps cancer evade the immune system). By targeting the Clever-1 receptor on macrophages, bexmarilimab alters the tumor microenvironment, reprogramming macrophages from an immunosuppressive (M2) state to an immunostimulatory (M1) one, upregulating interferon production and priming the immune system to attack tumors and sensitizing cancer cells to standard of care.

About Faron Pharmaceuticals Ltd
Faron (AIM: FARN, First North: FARON) is a global, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, focused on tackling cancers via novel immunotherapies. Its mission is to bring the promise of immunotherapy to a broader population by uncovering novel ways to control and harness the power of the immune system. The Company’s lead asset is bexmarilimab, a novel anti-Clever-1 humanized antibody, with the potential to remove immunosuppression of cancers through reprogramming myeloid cell function. Bexmarilimab is being investigated in Phase I/II clinical trials as a potential therapy for patients with hematological cancers in combination with other standard treatments. Further information is available at www.faron.com.