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Swedish company Angitia AB and Estonian company Celecure AS sign a worldwide licensing agreement for a novel angiogenesis inhibitor for treatment of cancer.
Celecure and Angitia announced today that Angitia has out-licensed its innovative anti angiogenesis inhibitor SB101 to Celecure.
SB101 is a novel angiogenesis inhibitor, based on parts of the endogenous protein CD44 working via a novel mechanism not previously ascribed to CD44. SB101 binds to endothelial cells and specifically blocks their proliferation. SB101 works efficiently and at very low doses in different experimental animal models to block angiogenesis and tumour growth. SB101 has the potential to be a significant a significant breakthrough in cancer therapy by its novel mechanism of action.
In addition to cancer therapy, SB101 also has a potential market in therapy for adult blindness caused by diabetic retinopathy or macular degeneration as well as for psoriasis and various forms of chronical inflammation. SB101 has recently entered preclinical development.
Cancer accounts for 25% of all fatalities and is the second most common cause of death in the industrialized world. There is a vast need for new and efficient cancer therapies with few side effects. Present therapy for cancer is insufficient and in most cases hostile to the regular body functions of patients. Therefore, over the last decade, an intensive interest has been put into the development of new principles for tumour treatment, including block of blood vessel
formation by angiogenesis.
Under the terms of the agreement, Celecure will make an upfront payment and milestone payments to Angitia in the event that development and performance milestones are met. Angitia will also receive a royalty on product sales. The total value of the agreement could be up to 30 million euros in case of a market approval. Celecure receives global exclusive global marketing rights. Responsibility for pharmaceutical and clinical development rests with Celecure.
For Angitia, this is an important milestone, and clear sign of our excellence within the angiogenesis field to be able to license out an anti cancer project, commented Staffan Söderström, Chairman of Angitia. We have found a strong and committed partner in Celecure for completing preclinical development of this novel approach to the treatment of cancer diseases. It is rewarding to be able to contribute new hope to people suffering from cancer and eye diseases.
We are pleased to have concluded this agreement and look forward to collaborating with Angitia on SB101, said Mr. Tarmo Kivi, CEO of Celecure. Cancer is a fatal disease and represents a high unmet medical need. Together with our CC0101, an anticancer compound causing cancer-specific apoptosis, this project will complement Celecure´s cancer drug development portfolio in a distinctive way.
About Angitia AB
Angitia AB is an emerging company in angiogenesis research and drug discovery. The company was formed by three researchers, Dr. Staffan Strömblad, Dr Priit Kogerman and Taavi Päll, from Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden in 2001. The company holds all intellectual properties relating to the angiogenesis inhibitor SB101, an invention made by its founders.
The company’s core technology platform is in the field of angiogenesis related diseases.
About Celecure AS
Celecure is the leading Estonian biotech drug development company. Celecure focuses on pre-clinical development of new anticancer drugs and diagnostic methods. Celecure works in close relationship with Inbio OÜ, an affiliated biotechnology company that provides peptide and antibody services. Celecure´s pipeline includes:
• CC0101, an anticancer compound causing cancer-specific apoptosis.
• Entrybodies™ – technology to design cell-membrane penetrating antibodies to block intracellular proteins. The pilot Entrybodies™ are designed against GLI proteins and could be used for treatment of basal cell carcinomas.
• New generation cancer treatment based on endothelial cell-specific growth inhibition and block of angiogenesis.
For additional information, please contact:
Angitia AB
Staffan Söderström, Chairman
Karolinska Institutet Science Park
S-17177 STOCKHOLM
Sweden Celecure AS
Tarmo Kivi, CEO
Sakala 17
10141 TALLINN
Estonia
Phone direct: + 46 8 508 84580
GSM: + 46 70 220 9431
Email: staffan@soderstrom-partners.se
Phone direct: +372 6512678
GSM +372 5013158
Email:tarmo@inbio.ee
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Akadeemia 15, 12618 Tallinn, Estonia