SYDNEY, Australia, Sept. 08, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Prima BioMed Ltd (ASX:PRR) (NASDAQ:PBMD) (“Prima”, the “Company”) announces the grant of Japanese patent no. 6177735 entitled “Cytotoxic anti-LAG-3 monoclonal antibody and its use in the treatment or prevention of organ transplant rejection and autoimmune disease” by the Japanese Patent Office.
The patent was filed as a divisional application and is directed to Prima’s IMP731 antibody that was originally developed by Immutep SA, now a wholly owned subsidiary of Prima. The granted claims provide broad protection for the antibody and also use of the antibody in the manufacture of a medicament for treating or preventing organ transplant rejection or treating an autoimmune disease. The patent expiry date is 30 April 2028.
Rights for the development of the IMP731 antibody were granted in December 2010 to GSK who have commenced first-in-human clinical trials of a proprietary antibody (GSK2831781) derived from IMP731.
About IMP731 and GSK2831781
IMP731 and GSK2831781 are designed to specifically deplete potentially pathogenic, recently activated, LAG-3 expressing T cells which are enriched at the disease site in T-cell driven immuno-inflammatory disorders and should spare other T-cells which may be necessary for other functions.
Under the terms of the 2010 agreement between Immutep and GSK, GSK has responsibility for all development costs for GSK2831781. Under the agreement, Prima is entitled to receive payments and milestones totalling up to £64 million and single-digit, tiered royalties if all objectives are achieved.
A Phase 1, first-in-human clinical study of GSK2831781 for the treatment of autoimmune diseases has commenced and further information may be obtained at https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02195349.
About Prima BioMed
Prima BioMed is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange and on the NASDAQ in the US. For further information please visit www.primabiomed.com.au.
For further information please contact: Australian Investors/Media: Mr Matthew Gregorowski, Citadel-MAGNUS +61 2 8234 0105; mgregorowski@citadelmagnus.com U.S. Investors: Matthew Beck, The Trout Group LLC +1 (646) 378-2933; mbeck@troutgroup.com
