Heidelberg, January 3, 2012 - The biopharmaceutical company Apogenix GmbH today announced that it has received an additional € 2.3 million BMBF grant (German Federal Ministry of Education and Research) for the further advancement of its lead substance APG101. Apogenix will use the proceeds to develop APG101 for the treatment of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). More specifically, the grant will be used for the production of clinical material and for the development of a biomarker program.
APG101 is a first-in-class, fully human protein that provides an innovative therapeutic approach to treating solid tumors such as Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM). APG101 is the most advanced inhibitor of the CD95 ligand (CD95L) in clinical development. In September 2011, Apogenix announced the completion of patient recruitment of its phase II clinical trial in GBM. Final results of this trial are expected in the first quarter of 2012.
Dr Thomas Höger, CEO/CFO of Apogenix commented: “This grant, along with the grants we have been awarded over the last five years totaling more than € 6 million, plays a substantial role in the development of our lead substance APG101 for the treatment of life-threatening diseases with a high unmet medical need. We are happy that we have received one of the highest BMBF grants as partner of the Biotech Cluster Rhine-Neckar. This allows us to develop APG101 for a new, promising indication, namely MDS. We firmly believe that the therapeutic potential of APG101 goes far beyond the treatment of GBM and that we have a realistic chance to show proof-of-concept in a phase II trial planned for 2013.”
About the Biotech Cluster Rhine-Neckar
The leading-edge Biotech Cluster Rhine-Neckar (BioRN cluster) has a focus on personalized medicine and cancer research. Within the cluster, innovative biotechnological discoveries will be translated into products ready to be marketed such as, e.g., drug candidates, diagnostic test kits and technology platforms. The BioRN cluster strives to occupy one of Europe´s top positions in the areas of personalized medicine and cancer.
About Apogenix
Apogenix, a spin-out from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), is developing novel protein therapeutics for the treatment of cancer and inflammatory diseases based either on the targeted modulation of apoptosis (programmed cell death) or on blocking the growth of tumor cells. The company’s lead product candidate APG101 is being developed for the treatment of Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM), the most common and aggressive type of primary brain tumor. Since its inception in 2005, the company has raised more than € 50 million with dievini Hopp BioTech Holding GmbH & Co. KG as main investor, and has been awarded public grants totaling over € 8 million. Apogenix is based in Heidelberg, Germany.
About APG101
The company’s lead product candidate, APG101, a first-in-class, fully human, soluble fusion protein combining the extracellular domain of the CD95 receptor and the Fc portion of IgG, successfully completed a phase I study in 2009. In December 2009, Apogenix started a controlled phase II trial with APG101 for the treatment of Glioblastoma Multiforme. The patient recruitment for this study was completed in September 2011. Apogenix was granted orphan drug designation for APG101 in 2009 for the treatment of GBM in Europe and in the US.
About MDS
Myelodysplastic syndromes are a diverse collection of hematological (blood-related) medical conditions that involve ineffective production of blood cells in the bone marrow of MDS patients. Hence, they are no longer able to produce mature, functionally active blood cells which regularly leads to anemia. This is normally treated by blood transfusions which can, however, result in an iron-overload of the organism frequently associated with liver damage. As the disease progresses, MDS patients often suffer from infections and sudden bleedings which can lead to death.
Contact
Dr Thomas Höger
CEO/CFO
Apogenix GmbH
Phone: +49 (6221) 5 86 08-0
Email: contact@apogenix.com
www.apogenix.com
Raimund Gabriel
MC Services AG
Phone: +49 (89) 210 228 30
About Apogenix
Apogenix, a spin-out from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), is developing novel protein therapeutics for the treatment of cancer and inflammatory diseases based either on the targeted modulation of apoptosis (programmed cell death) or on blocking the growth of tumor cells. The company’s lead product candidate APG101 is being developed for the treatment of Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM), the most common and aggressive type of primary brain tumor. Since its inception in 2005, the company has raised more than € 50 million with dievini Hopp BioTech Holding GmbH & Co. KG as main investor, and has been awarded public grants totaling over € 8 million. Apogenix is based in Heidelberg, Germany.
Email: raimund.gabriel@mc-services.eu
