Dear Friends,

I am excited to share with you some big news about a new direction for HOPO Therapeutics. We have for some time been focused on addressing the retention of gadolinium from MRI contrast agents; the unmet need is clear, and the science is a natural continuation of our earlier work on radioactive elements. As many of you know however, gadolinium retention is unfortunately not a widely recognized diagnosis or disease state, and as some have pointed out, with a primary commercial focus in this area it has been challenging for us to find traction or support for our work.

We have recently made a pivot to address another critical unmet need: the treatment of pediatric lead poisoning. Millions of people worldwide are exposed to harmful levels of lead, however there is no useful treatment available. Based on very promising preclinical studies as well as analysis of the needs and potential impact for new therapeutics in this space, we have begun to gain traction moving to solve this public health crisis. The reality is that in addition to impacting mostly women and children, lead poisoning is an epidemic of disadvantaged communities around the world. HOPO Therapeutics is proud to be developing our class-leading chelating agents to make this a treatable condition, rather than a lifelong burden of poorer health and outcomes.

I want to make clear however that we have not lost sight of any of our patients. Our most pressing task is to advance the clinical development and manufacturing of our lead candidates, which will benefit anyone seeking to gain access to our investigational drugs. We continue to actively investigate causes of and solutions to gadolinium retention, and are pursuing this new direction with the goal of moving as quickly as possible towards availability for all. I look forward to sharing more good news with you in the near future.

With best wishes,

Julian A. Rees, Ph.D.
Co-Founder, President and CEO