Apogenix Receives First Milestone Payment From CANbridge Licensing Agreement And Signs Amendment To Include Taiwan

HEIDELBERG, Germany, Jan. 7, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Apogenix, a biopharmaceutical company developing next generation immuno-oncology therapeutics, announced today that the first milestone of its licensing agreement with CANbridge Life Sciences for the development and commercialization of lead immuno-oncology candidate APG101 in China, Macao, and Hong Kong has been reached, triggering a milestone payment. In addition, Apogenix and CANbridge have signed an amendment to expand the licensed territories to include Taiwan. Apogenix will continue to develop APG101 in all other territories.

An initial biomarker study conducted by CANbridge in Chinese glioblastoma patients revealed a high degree of CD95 ligand expression and confirmed the expression pattern seen in Apogenix' phase II proof of concept trial in patients with recurrent glioblastoma. APG101 is a CD95 ligand inhibitor which restores the immune response against tumors and inhibits invasive tumor cell growth. In Apogenix' phase II trial, glioblastoma patients expressing a certain biomarker associated with the CD95 ligand experienced the greatest benefit from treatment with APG101. The median overall survival rate in biomarker-positive patients treated with APG101 more than doubled to 16 months compared to patients treated with radiotherapy alone.

"We are very pleased with CANbridge's progress and the achievement of the first milestone ahead of schedule," said Thomas Hoeger, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Apogenix. "Based on the commitment demonstrated by CANbridge and the excellent collaboration throughout our partnership, we have expanded the licensed territories to include Taiwan. We look forward to CANbridge initiating a phase I/II trial with APG101 in newly-diagnosed glioblastoma patients in Taiwan in the second half of this year."

About Apogenix 
Apogenix develops innovative immuno-oncology therapeutics for the treatment of cancer and other malignant diseases. The company has built a promising pipeline of immuno-oncology drug candidates that target different tumor necrosis factor superfamily (TNFSF)-dependent signaling pathways, thereby restoring the immune response against tumors. Since its inception in fall 2005, Apogenix has raised more than 90 million euros in financing rounds, public grants, and upfront payments from licensing agreements. The company is based in Heidelberg, Germany.

About APG101 
Apogenix' lead immuno-oncology candidate APG101 is a fully human fusion protein that consists of the extracellular domain of the CD95 receptor and the Fc domain of an IgG antibody. APG101 is being developed for the treatment of solid tumors and malignant hematological diseases. By blocking the CD95 ligand, APG101 restores the immune response against tumors and inhibits invasive tumor cell growth.

Contact  
Thomas Hoeger, Ph.D., CEO                                                                     
Apogenix AG                                                   
Phone: +49 (6221) 58 60 80                                        
E-Mail: contact@apogenix.com 
Web: www.apogenix.com

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SOURCE Apogenix