Cell Medica Acquires Delenex Therapeutics

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Cell Medica, a leader in developing, marketing and manufacturing cellular therapeutics for cancer and viral infections, announced today the acquisition of Delenex Therapeutics AG, a privately held, clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of locally and systemically applied antibody therapeutics.

The acquisition will enable Cell Medica to accelerate the development of gene-modified immune cell products with enhanced potency for the treatment of cancer. Delenex’s proprietary PENTRA^® technology allows the rapid development of antibody therapeutics within a humanized framework. The Delenex technology and expertise will be integrated with Cell Medica’s product development programme aimed at creating next generation Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR)-modified cellular immunotherapies with improved functionality and specificity. Financial details were not disclosed.

Delenex was founded in September 2009 as a spin-off from ESBATech (now a Novartis company). The Delenex scientific team and laboratory facilities based in Schlieren, Switzerland will form a key part of Cell Medica’s international R&D operations and will be re-named Cell Medica Switzerland AG.

Gregg Sando, CEO of Cell Medica, said:

“We are committed to transforming the treatment of cancer through the significant therapeutic potential of cellular immunotherapy. The acquisition of Delenex provides a key enabling technology for the development of an exciting pipeline of next generation CAR-modified cell therapies. We are delighted to welcome the talented team from Delenex and to join the vibrant Swiss biotech community based in Schlieren.”

About Cell Medica

Cell Medica develops, manufactures and markets cellular immunotherapy products for the treatment of cancer and infections. The Company employs leading-edge technologies to develop cell-based therapies with the potential to transform the lives of cancer patients in the years ahead. The Company’s lead oncology product, baltaleucel-T, is aimed at a range of cancers associated with the oncogenic Epstein Barr virus (EBV), including non-Hodgkin lymphomas, Hodgkin lymphoma and nasopharyngeal carcinoma. This novel cancer immunotherapy is currently under study in an international Phase 2 clinical trial (CITADEL) for the treatment of advanced NK/T cell lymphoma. Cell Medica is also working in collaboration with the Baylor College of Medicine to develop next-generation cellular immunotherapies incorporating chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) with genetically enhanced potency for the treatment of cancers that do not respond to conventional therapies. In addition to its oncology programmes, Cell Medica is marketing Cytovir CMV for the treatment of cytomegalovirus infections and developing Cytovir ADV for the treatment of adenovirus infections. Both products are for the treatment and prevention of viral infections in patients who are profoundly immunosuppressed following a bone marrow transplant. Additional information can be found on the Company’s website www.cellmedica.co.uk.

About Delenex Therapeutics

Delenex is a privately held, clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of locally and systemically applied antibody therapeutics. Delenex's proprietary PENTRA^®Bodies are small, highly potent and stable antibody fragments that are superior in penetrating tissues and in crossing barriers in the human body. The modular PENTRA^®Body platform has proven ability to identify and rapidly generate best-in-class antibodies of various formats including single chain Fv fragments (scFv), IgG and bispecific antibodies. PENTRA^®Bodies are generated from a master set of highly stable human antibody scaffolds.

The antibody platform underlying Delenex’ PENTRA^®Bodies has generated several clinical-stage products, including one currently in late-stage development at a major pharmaceutical company. Mono- and bi-specific PENTRA^®Bodies have also been developed for multiple targets in dermatology, inflammatory diseases and oncology. For more information please visit: www.cellmedica.co.uk.