CAMBRIDGE ANTIBODY TECHNOLOGY AND DEBIOPHARM GROUP
ENTER INTO AN EXCLUSIVE AGREEMENT TO DEVELOP AND MARKET SC-1 FOR GASTRIC
CANCER
October 16th 2006 Cambridge, UK and Lausanne,
Switzerland… Cambridge Antibody Technology (CAT) and The Debiopharm Group
(Debiopharm) 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 is a fully human monoclonal IgM antibody SC-1
that targets CD55SC-1, a cell surface receptor that is specifically expressed
on gastric carcinoma cells. SC-1 was developed by Debiopharm, a global
independent biopharmaceutical development company specialising in oncology and
serious medical conditions, for the treatment of gastric carcinoma. Under the
terms of the agreement, Debiopharm will receive upfront and milestone payments
from CAT and royalties on potential future sales.
Dr Richard Mason, Senior Vice President Business Development at CAT,
commented: “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.”
Loïc Maurel, CEO of The Debiopharm Group Canadian subsidiary, commented “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.”
-ENDS-
Cambridge Antibody Technology (CAT):
Cambridge Antibody Technology (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 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.
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.
For more information:
www.cambridgeantibody.com
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: www.debiopharm.com
.
About SC-1:
SC-1 was first identified by Oncomab GMBH, a German antibody company, and
in-licensed by The Debiopharm Group in 2003. SC-1 is a fully human monoclonal
IgM antibody SC-1 that recognises CD55SC-1, a cell surface receptor that is
specifically expressed in over 80% of human gastric carcinoma cells. SC-1 has
completed a non-Investigational New Drug (IND) Phase I/II study in 51
resectable gastric cancer patients. SC-1 has been granted orphan drug
designation by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for gastric cancer.
Contacts:
Media relations for Cambridge Antibody Technology Europe:
Sue Charles/Tony Stephenson/Susan Yu
Northbank Communications
t : +44 (0)20 3008 7550
m: +44 (0)7968 726585
e:
catpr@northbankcommunications.com
Media relations for Cambridge Antibody Technology USA:
Brad Miles
BMC Communications (USA)
t : +1 (2)12 477 9007 ext 17
At Cambridge Antibody Technology:
Rowena Gardner, Director of Corporate Communications
t : +44 (0) 1223 471 471
e:
rowena.gardner@cambridgeantibody.com
The Debiopharm Group:
Loïc Maurel, President & CEO, Debiovision Inc
Tel: +1 514 842 9976
