PolyPid Ltd. (Nasdaq: PYPD) has announced the enrollment of the last patient required for the planned unblinded interim analysis in its ongoing SHIELD II Phase 3 trial evaluating D-PLEX100 for the prevention of surgical site infections (SSIs) in patients undergoing abdominal colorectal surgery with large incisions. The interim analysis is slated for the current quarter, pending completion of the 30-day follow-up for the final patient. This analysis may trigger early trial termination due to positive efficacy, continuation to planned enrollment (up to 630 subjects), sample size re-assessment, or futility.
Approximately 430 subjects have been enrolled to date in the SHIELD II Phase 3 trial.
SHIELD II Trial Design
The SHIELD II trial (Surgical site Hospital acquired Infection prEvention with Local D-PLEX) is a prospective, multinational, randomized, double-blind Phase 3 study. It is designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of D-PLEX100 administered with standard of care (SoC), including prophylactic systemic antibiotics, versus SoC alone. The primary endpoint is the proportion of subjects with a surgical site infection (SSI), reintervention, or mortality within 30 days post-surgery, as determined by a blinded independent adjudication committee. Patient safety will be monitored for an additional 30 days. The trial is being conducted across centers in the United States, Europe, and Israel.
D-PLEX100: Targeted Antibacterial Activity
D-PLEX100, PolyPid’s lead product candidate, is designed to provide local, prolonged, and controlled antibacterial activity directly at the surgical site to prevent SSIs. The PLEX (Polymer-Lipid Encapsulation matriX) technology enables a prolonged and continuous release of doxycycline, a broad-spectrum antibiotic, resulting in a high local concentration of the drug for 30 days. This approach aims to prevent SSIs, including those caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted D-PLEX100 Breakthrough Therapy Designation for SSI prevention in patients undergoing elective colorectal surgery.
Financial Implications and Future Prospects
According to Dikla Czaczkes Akselbrad, PolyPid’s Chief Executive Officer, enrollment in the study is accelerating, and the company remains on track to announce top-line results from SHIELD II in the first quarter of 2025. The trial is now nearly three-quarters enrolled to full planned enrollment, which is expected by year-end.
PolyPid has the potential to secure additional funding based on the interim analysis results. Specifically, $18.5 million could be secured if the trial is stopped due to positive efficacy, and all warrants from the January 2024 private placement are exercised. An additional $6.1 million is contingent upon either the trial stopping due to efficacy or continuing to planned recruitment, with all warrants from the August 2024 private placement being exercised. If all warrants from both placements are exercised, the company would be funded into 2026.
