02.02.2016
WILEX AG DE000A11QVV0
DGAP-News: WILEX AG: US-patent office granted patent for amatoxin conjugates for tumour therapy
DGAP-News: WILEX AG / Key word(s): Patent
WILEX AG: US-patent office granted patent for amatoxin conjugates for tumour
therapy
02.02.2016 / 07:25
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
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PRESS RELEASE
WILEX AG: US-patent office granted patent for amatoxin conjugates for
tumour therapy
- The grant of the patent strengthens the proprietary ADC technology of
the subsidiary Heidelberg Pharma
Munich, Germany, 2 February 2016 - WILEX AG (ISIN DE000A11QVV0 / WL6 / FSE)
today announced that an important patent for its own ADC technology for the
manufacture of Antibody Amanitin Conjugates was granted in the USA. The
patent is named "Amatoxin armed therapeutic cell surface binding components
designed for tumor therapy" and was submitted by Prof Dr Heinz Faulstich
and employees of the German Cancer Research Centre (DKFZ). Heidelberg
Pharma exclusively in-licensed the patent in December 2009.
The subject matter of the patent is the chemical reaction to crosslink
certain carrier molecules, e.g. antibodies, to amatoxins. Amatoxins are
natural poisons occurring in, for example, the death cap mushroom (Amanita
phalloides). Heidelberg Pharma is the first company worldwide to work with
the corresponding toxin Amanitin to develop Antibody Targeted Amanitin
Conjugates (ATACs) for the use in cancer therapy.
Amanitin is known in oncology for its unique mode of action: the inhibition
of RNA polymerase II, which leads the cells to programmed cell death
(apoptosis) independent from cell division. This offers the opportunity to
treat therapy-resistant tumours and kill quiescent tumour cells, which
could result in significant clinical progress.
The chemical linkage to natural Amanitin is only possible at certain
positions without loss of efficacy of the molecule. The granted US-patent
protects the use of positions for the ATAC technology which are chemically
easy to access and which produce the biologic function of the Amanitin.
Dr Jan Schmidt-Brand, Spokesman of the Executive Management Board of WILEX
AG, comments: "This patent strengthens our position and, along with other
patents and patent applications, is an important component in protecting
our outstanding ATAC technology. Our goal is to develop highly effective
and innovative cancer therapies with this interesting toxin Amanitin, both
with pharma partners as well as developing our own ATAC candidates."
About Heidelberg Pharma's proprietary ATAC technology
Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) combine the high affinity and specificity
of antibodies with the potential of small cytotoxic molecules for the
treatment of cancer and inflammatory diseases. ATACs are ADCs based on
highly potent amatoxin payloads. Amatoxins are small bicyclic peptides
naturally occurring in the Green Death Cap mushroom. Mode of action of
amatoxins is the inhibition of mRNA transcription by binding to RNA
polymerase II, a mechanism that is crucial for the survival of eukaryotic
cells. Accordingly, ATACs exhibit comparable activity against proliferating
and resting tumor cells. This proliferation independent activity
differentiates ATACs from other ADCs, which preferentially target
proliferating tumor cells. As an additional advantage ATACs could offer a
substantial capability to overcome the resistance mechanisms that might
limit the efficacy of other antibody drug conjugates.
About WILEX and Heidelberg Pharma
WILEX AG is a biopharmaceutical company which discontinued all clinical
development activities at its Munich site and now exercises a holding
function as the Group parent. Research and development focus on the
operations of its subsidiary Heidelberg Pharma GmbH in Ladenburg, which
primarily advances the development of the innovative platform technology
for antibody drug conjugates (ADC technology) and provides pre-clinical
drug discovery and development services. WILEX has the diagnostic and
therapeutic drug candidates REDECTANE(R) and RENCAREX(R), which are
available for out-licensing and further development in Phase III for
external partners. WILEX is listed at the Frankfurt Stock Exchange: ISIN
DE000A11QVV0 / Symbol WL6. More information is available at www.wilex.com.
Contact IR/PR support WILEX AG MC Services AG Sylvia Wimmer Katja Arnold (CIRO) Corporate Communications Executive Director & Partner Tel.: +49 (0)89-41 31 38-29 Tel.: +49 (0)89-210 228-40 Email: investors[at]wilex.com Mobile: +49 (0)160 9360 3022 Grillparzerstr. 18, 81675 Munich, Email: katja.arnold[at]mc- Germany services.eu Business Development Heidelberg Pharma GmbH Dr. Marcel Linssen CBO, Executive Vice President Tel.: +49 (0)6203-1009-40 Email: m.linssen[at]hdpharma.comThis communication contains certain forward-looking statements relating to the Company's business, which can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "estimates", "believes", "expects", "may", "will", "should", "future", "potential" or similar expressions or by a general discussion of the Company's strategy, plans or intentions. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause our actual results of operations, financial position, earnings, achievements, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, earnings or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Given these uncertainties, prospective investors and partners are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. We disclaim any obligation to update any such forward- looking statements to reflect future events or developments. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 02.02.2016 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a service of EQS Group AG. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. The DGAP Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases. Media archive at www.dgap-medientreff.de and www.dgap.de --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Language: English Company: WILEX AG Grillparzerstr. 18 81675 München Germany Phone: +49 (0)89 41 31 38 - 0 Fax: +49 (0)89 41 31 38 - 99 E-mail: [email protected] Internet: www.wilex.com ISIN: DE000A11QVV0 WKN: A11QVV Listed: Regulated Market in Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Regulated Unofficial Market in Berlin, Dusseldorf, Munich, Stuttgart End of News DGAP News Service --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 433933 02.02.2016
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