NANTES, FRANCE--(Marketwire - October 05, 2010) -
VIVALIS (NYSE Euronext: VLS), a
biopharmaceutical company, announced today that it has signed with an
undisclosed partner an agreement to evaluate the EB66® cell line for the
production of several, undisclosed therapeutic proteins.
Under this agreement, VIVALIS will develop several therapeutic protein
candidates in the EB66® cell line with the partner assessing protein
characteristics. The results of this feasibility study would result in an
EB66® cell line commercial license to the partner.
Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
"We are very pleased to add another partner to the list of groups
evaluating the potential of Vivalis'EB66® cell line. This is the fifth
EB66® cell line agreement signed since beginning of 2010. Through a year
of active promotion in the highly fragmented therapeutic protein field, we
have increased our EB66® awareness in a market having sales three times
higher than those for vaccines. We are very satisfied that the progress we
have made in the vaccine field with the EB66® cell line is now
increasingly referenced in the therapeutic protein field," said Franck
Grimaud, CEO, and Majid Mehtali, CSO, co-managers of VIVALIS.
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About The EB66® Cell Line
The EB66® cell line, derived from avian embryonic stem cells, presents
unique industrial and regulatory characteristics, such as long-term genetic
stability, immortality and cell growth up to high cell densities in
suspension using serum-free media (>40 million cells/mL).
EB66® cells replicate a wide range of human and animal viruses and are
currently used for the production of investigational viral vaccines by many
major vaccine developers.
A Biologics Master File (BMF) for the EB66® cell line with the U.S. Food
and Drug Administration (FDA) was filed on June 27, 2008 and is updated
annually.
EB66® cells are also easily engineered to express recombinant proteins of
interest (> 1.0 g/l). Monoclonal antibodies produced in EB66® cells
have a human-like glycosylation profile with the additional benefits of
reduced fucose content. This latter characteristic provides increased
cytotoxic activity (ADCC) to antibodies, which may be useful in the
treatment of cancer and infectious disease.
About VIVALIS (www.vivalis.com)
VIVALIS (Euronext: VLS) is a biopharmaceutical company that provides
innovative cell-based solutions to the pharmaceutical industry for the
manufacture of vaccines and proteins, and develops drugs for the prevention
and treatment of unmet medical needs. VIVALIS' expertise and intellectual
property are leveraged in three main areas:
EB66® Cell Line
VIVALIS offers research and commercial licenses for its EB66® cell line,
derived from duck embryonic stem cells, to pharmaceutical and biotechnology
companies for the production of therapeutic and prophylactic viral
vaccines, virosomes, VLP's, and recombinant proteins (with a focus on
monoclonal antibodies having enhanced cytotoxic activity). Through these
programs VIVALIS receives upfront, clinical, and milestone payments along
with royalties on licensees net sales.
Humalex® Human Antibody Discovery Platform
Customized solutions for the discovery, development, and production of
fully human monoclonal antibodies is now offered by VIVALIS. Through these
programs VIVALIS receives upfront, clinical, and milestone payments along
with royalties on licensees net sales.
3D-Screen Platform
VIVALIS performs discovery and early stage development of small molecules
identified with VIVALIS' proprietary 3D-Screen platform, which identifies
target protein conformational modulators. VIVALIS is also building a
portfolio of proprietary products for the treatment of hepatitis-C
infection using this platform.
Based in Nantes (France), VIVALIS was founded in 1999 by the Grimaud Group
(ca. 1,500 employees), a world-wide leader in animal genetic selection.
VIVALIS has established more than 30 partnerships and licenses with world
leaders in this sector, including Sanofi Pasteur, GlaxoSmithKline, Merck,
CSL, Kaketsuken, Merial, Intervet, SAFC Biosciences. VIVALIS is a member of
both the French ATLANTIC BIOTHERAPIES and LYON BIOPOLE bio-clusters.
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|VIVALIS | |
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|Listed on Euronext Paris | |
|– Compartment C of NYSE | |
|Euronext | |
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|Reuters: VLS.PA – | |
|Bloomberg: VLS FP | |
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|Included in NYSE | |
|Euronext’s SBF 250, CAC | |
|Small 90 and Next Biotech| |
|indices | |
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This document contains forward-looking statements and comments on the
company's objectives and strategies. No guarantee can be given to any of
the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements contained in this
document, which are subject to inherent risks, including risk factors
described in the company's document de référence, changes in
economic conditions, the financial markets or the markets in which the
company operates.
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