Paris, September 13, 2010 – Neovacs (Alternext Paris: ALNEV), a biotech company focused on an active
immunotherapy technology platform (Kinoids
TM) with applications in the treatment of autoimmune
diseases, inflammatory diseases and cancer, today announced that they have received a 963K€
payment from OSEO for the “Tracker” project concerning rheumatoid arthritis.
Neovacs received payment of 963 K€ at the end of August in respect of the first milestone of its contract
with OSEO, the French state innovation agency. This agreement signed in 2008 supports “Tracker”, the
development project with the drug candidate TNF-Kinoïd for rheumatoid arthritis. The payment was
according to the schedule laid out in the contract and following presentation of the results of the first
phase of the project.
“We are delighted to have received the payment from OSEO. It rewards the good progress made in the
development of our drug-candidate TNF-Kinoïd to treat patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis and
who have developed resistance to the current treatments with TNF antibodies. The team strong support
and efforts to move forward have enabled the company to meet the delivery schedule,” said Guy-Charles
de La Horie, CEO Neovacs.
The aim of the Tracker project is to develop a global therapeutic strategy for patients presenting
rheumatoid arthritis. The most effective drugs currently available, anti-TNF monoclonal antibodies,
rapidly induce antibodies that neutralise them increasingly over time. These antibodies lead to resistance
and/or intolerance to the treatment, which subsequently becomes ineffective and/or toxic. In seven
major pharmaceutical markets, the number of patient is estimated at 200,000 patients by 2014
(Datamonitor). The primary objective of Tracker is to validate the diagnostic tools produced by the
diagnostic company Biomedical Diagnostics (BMD) to evaluate these neutralizing antibodies and to test
the therapeutic solution developed by Neovacs involving active anti-TNF immunisation. The OSEO
funding totals €7.9 million, with €6.4 million for Neovacs.
About Neovacs
Neovacs is a biotechnology company focused on an active immunotherapy technology platform (Kinoids
TM) with applications in
autoimmune diseases and other chronic conditions. It was founded as a spin-off from Pierre & Marie Curie University in Paris by
Professor Daniel Zagury, MD, one of the world’s leading immunologists. Neovacs' current portfolio consists of 3 drug candidates:
TNF-KinoidTM, IFNa-KinoidTM and VEGF-KinoidTM. The company’s lead immunotherapy program (TNF-KinoidTM) is targeting TNF-
mediated chronic inflammatory diseases. For TNF-KinoidTM, a Phase I/II clinical trial in Crohn’s disease and a Phase II trial in
rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are underway. The latter clinical study is also the focus of collaboration with the diagnostics company
BMD, with the goal of developing theranostic tools for personalized care in RA. Patient recruitment is ongoing in a Phase I/II trial
of Neovacs’ second product candidate (IFNa KinoidTM, an immunotherapy targeting interferon alpha) in the treatment of lupus.
Neovacs’ R&D has generated a broad patent estate.
For more information, visit the Neovacs web site at www.neovacs.com
About OSEO
OSEO (www.oseo.fr) provide assistance and financial support to French SMEs and VSEs in the most decisive phases of their life
cycle: start up, innovation, development, business transfer / buy out. By sharing the risk, it facilitates the access of SMEs to
financing by banking partners and equity capital investors.
Contacts
Press - Alize RP Neovacs Investors – Actifin OSEO
Caroline Carmagnol Florence Hocdée - Leroy Nicolas Meunier Vanessa Godet
+33 (0) 6 64 18 99 59 +33 (0) 1 53 10 93 00 + 33 (0) 1 56 88 11 11 +33 (0)1 41 79 84 33
caroline@alizerp.com fhocdeeleroy@neovacs.com nmeunier@actifin.fr vanessa.godet@oseo.fr