MediaPharma Licenses NMS Payload

MediaPharma Licenses Nerviano Medical Sciences’ Drug- Linker Technology to Develop Novel Antibody Drug Conjugate Reiden, Switzerland; Chieti, Italy and Nerviano, Italy

07 September 2016 – MediaPharma (MP), a biotech company focusing on the discovery and development of monoclonal antibodies, bispecifics and antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) against new targets in oncology and Nerviano Medical Sciences (Nerviano), a company of the NMS Group dedicated to the discovery and development of breakthrough treatments for cancer, today announce that they have signed a license and a supply agreement that will allow MP to develop Nerviano’s ‘payload’ (drug-linker) technology on a MP-exclusive target for an ADC designed to meet unmet needs in the field of cancer.

As a result of this agreement, Nerviano will receive undisclosed fees, development linked milestones and royalties for granting MP access to its technology. Nerviano will lead the effort in the manufacture and supply of its payload technology. Nerviano’s payload technology of new DNA intercalating agents is based on a proprietary thienoindole scaffold, characterized both by potent antitumor activity and by physicochemical properties that are highly compatible with deployment as antibody payloads. Nerviano’s core technologies in the field further include: medicinal chemistry expertise, know-how for establishing proof of concept, GMP manufacturing of payloads as well as efficacy and safety profiling of ADC’s.

Jean-Frédéric Sauniere, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer at MediaPharma, commented: “This collaboration with NMS brings to Mediapharma great assets to complement our expertise in immuno-oncology, in particular for the creation of new ADCs against key targets and therefore offering hope for our patients”

Stefano Iacobelli, M,D. Co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer at MediaPharma, commented: “Antibody-Drug Conjugates (ADCs) are a developing area of cancer drug technology that offers selective targeting of cancer cells. This targeted ADC approach has the potential to optimize the delivery of the cancer drug to the tumor. This means that, in contrast to traditional chemotherapy these novel agents target and attack the cancer cell so that healthy cells are less severely affected. So far, three ADCs have been approved for cancer treatment, but all leading Pharmas are in the process of developing and launching ADCs therapeutics”.

Barbara Marenco, President of NMS S.r.l, commented: “We are very pleased to have signed this licensing deal with MediaPharma. This new agreement marks an additional achievement in our strategic alliances objectives and we are excited about the prospect of expanding the potential of our payload technology platform through new valuable collaborations.”

About MediaPharma

MediaPharma is a biotech company focusing on the discovery and development of monoclonal antibodies, bispecifics and antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) on new targets in oncology. The company has offices in Reiden, Switzerland, and Chieti, Italy, and a R&D site in L’Aquila, Italy.

About Nerviano Medical Sciences NMS is the largest Italian Group committed to innovation and research and development in oncology. The NMS Group, with about 430 employees, has over 200 qualified scientists dedicated to research and development of cancer therapies ranging from 'target validation' to phase II clinical trials. Nerviano Medical Sciences S.r.l. with its discovery and preclinical research team represents the innovative core of the NMS Group and positions it as a relevant national and international leader in the field of personalized therapy. The NMS Group is an important entity in Italy capable of managing the entire integrated flow of the research and development process in oncology from discovery to preclinical research, and up to the early clinical phases, including the manufacturing and packaging of finished potent drugs. NMS Group provides also research and production services addressed to local and international partners through three different fully controlled affiliates: Accelera, a preclinical CRO; Clioss , a clinical CRO and Nerpharma, a CMO dealing from process development and production of API to formulation of active principles.

MP Contact Information: Pr. Stefano Iacobelli, M.D., co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer

+39 347 2606174

email: s.iacobelli@mediapharma.it

Nerviano Medical Sciences

Contact Information: Business Development Federico Bertolero, M.D.

+39 0331 581239

email: federico.bertolero@nmsgroup.it

Media enquiries

Chiara Lattuada, NMS Group Communication

+39 333 8425690

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