Corporate | 15 July 2010 03:00
Cytos Biotechnology AG / Alliance
15.07.2010 03:00
Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by
DGAP - a company of EquityStory AG.
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Multi-agency project could establish independent supply of influenza
vaccine for ASEAN and extends Cytos' R&D pipeline
Schlieren (Zurich) Switzerland and Singapore - July 15, 2010
1. Switzerland's Cytos Biotechnology and Singapore's Agency for Science,
Technology and Research (A*STAR) jointly announced today their first
collaboration on a virus-like particle (VLP) vaccine. This partnership,
which involves academic and clinical partners across Singapore (1), aims at
research, development and commercialisation of a VLP vaccine (2) to manage
influenza infections. This collaboration could potentially secure an
independent supply of vaccines for Singapore and other ASEAN countries to
protect against seasonal influenza and future pandemics and extends Cytos'
R&D pipeline.
2. Under this agreement, Cytos Biotechnology will work with A*STAR's
Experimental Therapeutics Centre (ETC) and Singapore Immunology Network
(SIgN) to develop and produce a VLP based vaccine targeting the influenza
hemagglutinin protein. The vaccine candidate will then be further evaluated
in pre-clinical safety and efficacy studies by DSO. Duke-NUS Graduate
Medical School Singapore and the Singapore Clinical Research Institute will
then conduct a proof-of-concept study to evaluate the safety of the vaccine
and its capacity to induce virus-neutralising antibodies (HI titers).
Thereafter, Cytos will hold the worldwide, sub-licensable rights to further
develop, manufacture and commercialise the vaccine while A*STAR
subsidiaries will be entitled to produce the vaccine for Singapore and
other ASEAN countries. A*STAR subsidiaries can earn a royalty on worldwide
net sales from influenza vaccine products developed under the terms of this
agreement.
3. Prof Sir George Radda, Chairman of A*STAR's Biomedical Research Council
which funds part of the research, commented, 'We are extremely excited at
the progress and scale of this collaboration. It is thanks to the suite of
capabilities in Singapore from basic to translational research, and to the
technological know-how at Cytos, that such a product can be brought from
discovery to clinical delivery, to provide rapid and cost-effective
protection against pandemics. We look forward to forging more such powerful
partnerships with industry and healthcare organisations to meet public
health needs and benefit society.'
4. Dr Martin Bachmann, Chief Scientific Officer of Cytos, said 'Through
access to Singapore's centres of scientific and drug development
excellence, we have the opportunity to gain clinical proof-of-concept for
one of Cytos' VLP vaccines in the prophylactic setting. The influenza
vaccine collaboration is the first of its kind for Cytos and offers us the
chance to, on the one hand, support Singapore and other member states of
ASEAN in becoming more self-sufficient with provision of vaccines relevant
to their emerging issues in public health, and, on the other hand,
contribute a valuable product candidate to extend Cytos' existing
pipeline.'
5. 'The collaboration with the Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School and the
Experimental Therapeutics Centre to better understand the nature of
influenza pandemic and its spread in the community will greatly enhance our
ability to prevent and strengthen our defence against such pandemic
threats. We are pleased to be a partner in this collaboration,' said Mr
Quek Gim Pew, Chief Executive Officer of DSO National Laboratories.
6. 'We believe that the investment Singapore has made in biomedical
research can be translated into a 'made in Singapore' influenza vaccine,
which could be particularly important in mitigating health risks
exacerbated by influenza pandemics,' said Associate Professor Ooi Eng Eong,
the project's lead investigator and a virologist at Duke-NUS Graduate
Medical School Singapore.
7. Prof Sam Lim, SCRI's Chief Operating Officer said, 'We are very excited
to have the opportunity to collaborate across so many different
organizations leading to one of the first phase 1 vaccine studies in
Singapore. Singaporeans and others in the ASEAN region will greatly benefit
from this highly innovative clinical research.'
(1) The academic and clinical partners include the DSO National
Laboratories, Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School, and the Singapore Clinical
Research Institute (SCRI)
(2) Information about virus-like particle (VLP) vaccines is at the Annex.
About the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)
A*STAR is the lead agency for fostering world-class scientific research and
talent for a vibrant knowledge-based and innovation-driven Singapore.
A*STAR oversees 14 biomedical sciences, and physical sciences and
engineering research institutes, and seven consortia & centres, which are
located in Biopolis and Fusionopolis, as well as their immediate vicinity.
A*STAR supports Singapore's key economic clusters by providing
intellectual, human and industrial capital to its partners in industry. It
also supports extramural research in the universities, hospitals, research
centres, and with other local and international partners.
For more information on A*STAR, please visit www.a-star.edu.sg.
About the Experimental Therapeutics Centre (ETC)
ETC was set up in 2006 to play an increasingly important role in
translating early-stage scientific discoveries into practical applications.
From engaging in early stage drug discovery and development to developing
innovative research tools for clinical analysis, as well as setting up
public-private partnerships to facilitate the advancement of drug
candidates, ETC augments Singapore's capabilities and resources in the drug
discovery process. ETC's capabilities and resources are currently focused
on oncology and infectious diseases. It also incubates new technologies for
commercialisation and mentors young scientists for careers in the
pharmaceutical and biotech industry.
For more information about ETC, please visit www.etc.a-star.edu.sg.
About the Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN)
The Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN), officially inaugurated on 15
January 2008, is a research consortium under the Agency for Science,
Technology and Research (A*STAR)'s Biomedical Research Council. The mandate
of SIgN is to advance human immunology research and participate in
international efforts to combat major health problems. Since its launch,
SIgN has grown rapidly and currently includes 150 scientists from 25
different countries of the world working under 20 renowned principal
investigators. At SIgN, researchers investigate immunity during infections
and inflammatory conditions including cancer and are supported by cutting
edge technological research platforms and core services. Through this,
SIgN aims to build a strong platform in basic human immunology research for
better translation of research findings into clinical applications. SIgN
also sets out to establish productive links with local and international
institutions, and encourage the exchange of ideas and expertise between
academic, industrial and clinical partners and thus contribute to a vibrant
research environment in Singapore.
For more information about SIgN, please visit www.sign.a-star.edu.sg.
About Cytos Biotechnology
Cytos Biotechnology Ltd is a public Swiss biotechnology company that
specializes in the discovery, development and commercialization of a new
class of biopharmaceutical products - the Immunodrugs(TM). Immunodrugs(TM)
are intended for use in the treatment and prevention of common chronic
diseases, which afflict millions of people worldwide. Immunodrugs(TM) are
designed to instruct the patient's immune system to produce desired
therapeutic antibody or T cell responses that modulate chronic disease
processes. Taking advantage of the high flexibility of its Immunodrug(TM)
platform, Cytos Biotechnology has built a diversified pipeline of
Immunodrug(TM) candidates in various disease areas, of which six are
currently in clinical development. The Immunodrug(TM) candidates are
developed both in-house and together with Novartis, Pfizer and Pfizer
Animal Health. Founded in 1995 as a spin-off from the Swiss Federal
Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich, the Company is located in
Schlieren (Zurich). Currently, the Company has 76 full-time employees.
Cytos Biotechnology Ltd is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (SIX:CYTN).
For more information on Cytos Biotechnology, please visit www.cytos.com.
About DSO National Laboratories
DSO National Laboratories (or DSO in short) is Singapore's national defence
research and development organisation.
It undertakes indigenous development of advanced defence and weapon systems
that provide the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) with the superior
technological edge in the battlefield. While its primary focus is to
support the SAF, DSO also extends its defence R&D capabilities to support
homeland security.
With more than 1000 research scientists and engineers, DSO researches into
emerging technologies, matures promising ones and integrates them into
innovative system concepts to meet Singapore's defence and security needs.
For more information about DSO, please visit www.dso.org.sg
About Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School Singapore
www.duke-nus.edu.sg
The Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School Singapore (Duke-NUS) was established
in 2005 as a strategic collaboration between the Duke University School of
Medicine, located in N. Carolina, USA and the National University of
Singapore (NUS). Duke-NUS offers a graduate entry, 4-year medical training
programme based on the unique Duke model of education, with one year
dedicated to independent study and research projects of a basic science or
clinical nature. The first class of students started term on 1 August 2007.
As a player in Singapore's biomedical community, Duke-NUS has identified
five Signature Research Programmes: Cancer & Stem Cell Biology,
Neuroscience and Behavioural Disorders, Emerging Infectious Diseases,
Cardiovascular & Metabolic Disorders, and Health Services and Systems
Research.
About the Singapore Clinical Research Institute
The Singapore Clinical Research Institute (SCRI) is an organization with
the strategic imperative to enhance the standards of human clinical
research through driving the development of core capabilities,
infrastructure, intellectual and scientific leadership in Singapore. Its
vision is to develop SCRI and Singapore scientists as an ASEAN hub for
clinical research excellence.
SCRI strives to improve patient care through the design and conduct of high
quality, cutting edge clinical research. SCRI collaborates and supports
academic, public-sector and industry-sponsored studies ranging from
proof-of-concept to late phase and epidemiological studies.
The SCRI houses an experienced and highly-qualified team of scientists and
research staff, offering a comprehensive suite of clinical research
capabilities. These areas of expertise range from clinical project
development and execution, including protocol/study design, project
management and, site monitoring, data management/biostatistical analysis,
epidemiology and evidence synthesis and training on various aspects of
clinical research.
In driving towards its vision, SCRI continues to enhance Singapore's
clinical research capabilities and strengthen its expertise in executing
single and multisite, multinational research and the development of
regional clinical research networks.
This foregoing press release may contain forward-looking statements that
include words or phrases such as 'could', 'aims', 'potentially', 'will',
'opportunity' ,'can', 'provide', 'gain', 'offers', 'support', 'leading' or
other similar expressions. These forward-looking statements are subject to
a variety of significant uncertainties, including scientific, business,
economic and financial factors, and therefore actual results may differ
significantly from those presented. There can be no assurance that any
further therapeutic entities will enter clinical trials, that clinical
trial results will be predictive for future results, that therapeutic
entities will be the subject of filings for regulatory approval, that any
drug candidates will receive marketing approval from the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration or equivalent regulatory authorities, or that drugs will be
marketed successfully. Against the background of these uncertainties
readers should not rely on forward-looking statements. The parties assume
no responsibility to update forward-looking statements or adapt them to
future events or developments. This document does not constitute an offer
or invitation to subscribe or purchase any securities of Cytos
Biotechnology Ltd.
ANNEX
Information on virus-like particle (VLP) vaccines
VLPs mimic the external protein structure of a virus, yet are incapable of
causing infections themselves as they do not contain the genetic material
(DNA or RNA) that is necessary for viral replication in host cells. The
human immune system responds to a VLP vaccine as it would to the live
virus, allowing the body to build immune defenses to fight the infection.
Attenuated, or weakened, forms of the infectious virus have traditionally
been used for antiviral vaccines. This type of vaccine has been effective
in preventing many types of diseases, but are typically difficult to
produce and may have limited applications in treating certain populations.
Recombinant technologies, particularly the E.coli fermentation used for the
VLP based Influenza vaccine may allow to produce the vaccine timely and in
large quantity. Taken together this should increase access for people
living in low- and moderate-income countries, where an influenza pandemic
may likely originate, potentially saving millions of lives during an
influenza pandemic.
VLP vaccines have already been developed and are approved to prevent human
Hepatitis B and papillomavirus infections.
Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)
Ms Adela Foo
Senior Officer, Corporate Communications
Durchwahl: +65 6826 6218
E-mail: adela_foo@a-star.edu.sg
Cytos Biotechnology AG
Wolfgang A. Renner, PhD
Chief Executive Officer
Durchwahl: +41 44 733 47 03
E-Mail: wolfgang.renner@cytos.com
DSO National Laboratories
Mr Kenny Wong
Acting Manager, Corporate Communications
Durchwahl: +65 6772 7003
E-Mail: wengchen@dso.org.sg
Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School Singapore
Ms Wee Lai Ming
Senior Manager, Communications
Durchwahl: +65 6516 7258
E-Mail: laiming.wee@duke-nus.edu.sg
Singapore Clinical Research Institute (SCRI)
Ms Anna Higgins
Manager, Communications
Durchwahl: +65 6508 8308
E-Mail: anna.higgins@scri.edu.sg
15.07.2010 Ad hoc announcement, Financial News and Press Release distributed by DGAP.
Media archive at www.dgap-medientreff.de and www.dgap.de
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Language: English
Company: Cytos Biotechnology AG
Wagistr. 25
8952 Schlieren
Schweiz
Phone: +41 44 733 4747
Fax: +41 44 733 4740
E-mail: info@cytos.com
Internet: www.cytos.com
ISIN: CH0011025217, CH0029060735
Swiss Security Number: -
Listed: Freiverkehr in Berlin, München, Stuttgart; Open
Market in Frankfurt; Foreign Exchange(s) SIX
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