The commercial performance of scientific activities was outstanding with +33 percent for Pharma resulting from an intensified collaboration with Servier Laboratories, and +24 percent for Services due to a remarkable second half 2008 (EUR 2.03 million in 2H 2008 vs. EUR 1.30 million in 2H 2007; +56 percent). The protein interaction services now represent a business of over EUR 3 million, 59 percent from clients outside France (EUR 1.79 million in 2008 vs. EUR 1.56 million in 2007; +15 percent) and 41 percent from French customers (EUR 1.24 million in 2008 vs. EUR 0.89 million in 2007; +39 percent).
First patient on 1,000 micrograms of inecalcitol
The clinical development of inecalcitol, a vitamin D analogue, is striding forward. A total of 35 patients have been enrolled to date in the Phase II tolerance study on oral inecalcitol in hormone-refractory prostate cancer in combination with Sanofi-Aventis' Taxotere(R), the reference intravenous chemotherapeutic agent for this indication. The last six recruited patients have been receiving 600 micrograms daily since October or November 2008. None of them experienced any clinical sign or any increase in calcium in blood or urine. This excellent tolerance allowed Hybrigenics, with the agreement of the French drug agency, to proceed with the first patient at the next dose level of 1,000 micrograms (i.e. one milligram, 1 mg) on January 27th.
New patent filed on inhibitors of Ubiquitin-Specific Proteases No.7
USP7 is one USP specifically involved in the regulation of a well known tumor-suppressor protein called "p53", which repairs DNA. Boosting p53 levels has long been recognized as a promising anti-cancer therapeutic strategy, which however remains difficult to implement. Hybrigenics managed to increase favourable p53 levels in cancer cell lines by inhibiting USP7 with specific original small molecule inhibitors, and filed a patent to protect this new chemical series on January 13th.
"This New Year 2009 gets off to a most auspicious start for Hybrigenics, after an excellent second half 2008. Of course, we'll watch out for the current economical downturn, but all our activities are advantageously positioned on the innovation front", said Remi Delansorne, Hybrigenics" CEO.
About Hybrigenics
Hybrigenics is a bio-pharmaceutical company focusing its internal R&D programs on innovative targets and therapies for the treatment of cancer. Hybrigenics' development program is based on inecalcitol, a vitamin D analogue, for the treatment of hormone-resistant prostate cancer in combination with Sanofi-Aventis' Taxotere(R), which is the current gold-standard chemotherapeutic treatment for this indication. Hybrigenics' research program explores the role of enzymes known as ubiquitin-specific proteases (USP) in the degradation of onco-proteins, and the effectiveness of proprietary USP inhibitors in treating various types of cancer.
Hybrigenics also offers a range of services to identify, validate and inhibit protein interactions to researchers in all areas of life sciences through its Hybrigenics Services unit, using its ISO 9001-certified high-throughput Yeast-Two Hybrid (Y2H) screening platform, its sophisticated bioinformatics tools and extensive database, along with its chemical library and chemical screening platform.
