Lausanne, Switzerland, and Cambridge, UK, October 16, 2006 – The Debiopharm Group (Debiopharm), a global independent biopharmaceutical development company specialising in oncology and serious medical conditions and Cambridge Antibody Technology (CAT) have entered into an exclusive worldwide licensing agreement to develop and commercialise SC-1 and all derivative products generated by the use of the SC-1 Technology. SC-1, developed by Debiopharm, is a fully human monoclonal IgM antibody that targets CD55SC-1, a cell surface receptor specifically expressed on gastric carcinoma cells. Under the terms of the agreement, Debiopharm will receive upfront and milestone payments from CAT as well as royalties on potential future sales.
“CAT’s expertise in the development of monoclonal antibodies gives us confidence for the future of SC-1 as a potential treatment for gastric cancer. As most patients diagnosed with stomach cancer fail to be cured by gastric resection, and most trials of pre- or post-surgery chemotherapy show no improvement in survival rates, there is a definite need for better treatment options,” said Loïc Maurel, CEO of The Debiopharm Group Canadian subsidiary.
“CAT is delighted with the agreement to develop and commercialise SC-1. This is a further step in enhancing our pipeline and builds on our recent product acquisitions in this area,” commented Dr Richard Mason, Senior Vice President Business Development at CAT
SC-1 has completed a non-IND Phase I/II study in 51 resectable gastric cancer patients. SC-1 has been granted orphan drug designation by the US FDA for gastric cancer.
About The Debiopharm Group
The Debiopharm Group is a global biopharmaceutical development company that in-licenses promising biologics and small molecule drug candidates. Debiopharm develops its products for global registration and maximum commercial potential for out-licensing to pharmaceutical partners for sales and marketing.
Debiopharm independently funds the worldwide development of all of its products while providing expertise in pre-clinical and clinical trials, manufacturing, drug delivery and formulation, and regulatory affairs.
Founded in 1979 and headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, Debiopharm has developed three products with global combined sales in excess of $2.3 billion in 2005.
For more information on the Debiopharm Group, please visit: www.debiopharm.com.
About CAT
CAT is a biopharmaceutical company using its capabilities and technologies in the discovery and development of new and innovative antibody medicines in selected therapeutic areas to bring improvements to seriously ill patients’ lives. CAT is part of the AstraZeneca group of companies. CAT employs around 300 people and is based near Cambridge, UK and in Palo Alto, USA.
CAT is a leader in the discovery and development of human therapeutic antibodies and has an advanced proprietary platform technology for rapidly isolating human monoclonal antibodies using phage display and ribosome display systems. CAT has extensive phage antibody libraries, currently incorporating more than 100 billion distinct antibodies. These libraries form the basis for the Company’s strategy to develop a portfolio of antibody-based drugs.
For more information on CAT, please visit: www.cambridgeantibody.com.