Squarex Announces End of Phase 2 Meeting with FDA for its Cold Sore Prevention Asset

Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA, 19 January 2021 – Squarex Pharma (SQX), a St. Paul, Minnesota, USA-based company, announced updated results from its Phase 2 clinical study on humans with its novel asset SQX770 for prevention of cold sores also known as herpes labialis or oral herpes, an illness caused by herpes simplex virus, usually type 1 (HSV-1).

SQX770 is a unique, first in class topical immunomodulator. SQX770 is the only product shown to reduce the number of cold sore events or flareups as well as their severity.

About 50% of the Western population is infected with HSV-1. Herpes outbreaks give rise to cold sores, usually seen as painful sores or blisters around the lips of the patient. Currently there are no preventative treatments, only pills, creams, and ointments to be used once cold sores appear in order to shorten the outbreak. Current drugs do nothing to prevent reoccurrence of outbreaks or reduce the number of outbreaks.

SQX770 addresses a very substantial worldwide market—2.1% of the population has 6 or more outbreaks per year and 15% have 1 or more.