- Last participant enters human challenge trial, data expected by year end 2017
- New Supervisory Board members and investment
Gemuenden, Germany, 12 October, 2017 - Ventaleon GmbH, a biotechnology company focusing on the development of inhaled treatments against viral infections, provided today a clinical and corporate update following an extraordinary shareholder meeting. The update includes details on the strong clinical progress the Company has made in the last two quarters as well as news on the Supervisory Board and a new investor.
In the clinic, Ventaleon recently signed up the last participant to the challenge trial (see, Ventaleon GmbH Initiates Challenge Trial with Inhaled Flu Treatment Candidate), which is testing an inhaled formulation of LASAG (D,L-lysine acetylsalicylate * glycine), in volunteers infected with the H3N2 subtype of the influenza A virus. Since May end, the trial has recruited over 80 volunteers.
Dr. Ulrich Dauer, CEO of Ventaleon GmbH, noted, “We are comfortably on track to expect topline results by year end 2017. The challenge trial has been designed specifically to show the causal effect of LASAG inhalation on the influenza virus and will be an important step in preparing the pivotal trials.”
On the Supervisory Board, Ventaleon has appointed Dr. Gonzalo de Miquel, Chief Medical Officer & Executive Vice President Development with Vectura Group plc, to the company’s Board. Prior to joining Vectura, Dr. de Miquel was Vice President of Clinical Development at Astra Zeneca and Head of the AZ Center of Respiratory Medicine in Barcelona (Catalonia, Spain) with responsibilities on the overall strategy, organization, resource assignment and project prioritization across Astra Zeneca’s respiratory portfolio. Dr. de Miquel held other senior positions such as Senior Director of Global Clinical Development at Almirall (Spain) where he was responsible of all early clinical and late-stage developments, and successfully led the aclidinium monotherapy franchise development throughout from early clinical to FDA and EMA submissions and approvals in 2012, and the aclidinium/formoterol approval by EMA in 2014. Dr. de Miquel was previously Head of Respiratory at Boehringer Ingelheim (Spain) working through the late stage development and the launch of tiotropum (Spiriva(R) Handihaler(R)) in Spain.
Also, appointed as a member of the Supervisory Board is Dr. Gerhard Scheuch, founder and former CEO of Ventaleon. Also, he was founder and CEO of Activaero, a drug development company that was acquired by Vectura Group in 2014. Formerly, Dr. Scheuch was founder of Inamed, a CRO specialized in the field of respiratory diseases. He is also involved in different pharmaceutical developments involving inhalation therapy and serves on scientific advisory boards of several big Pharma companies. Dr. Scheuch is a regulatory expert at EMA and former President of The International Society of Aerosols in Medicine (ISAM).
Dr. Scheuch substantially expanded his shareholding by a recent investment in the Company.
“With Dr. Gonzalo de Miquel and Dr. Gerhard Scheuch joining the Supervisory Board Ventaleon’s future will be further defined by two masters of the early and late stage clinical development environment for pulmonary technologies and therapies,” said Dr. Jean Lüchinger, Chairman of the Supervisory Board. “Furthermore, the joint knowledge and experience of these gentlemen will ensure the most efficient path through the regulatory approval process. We are also very pleased to welcome Dr. Scheuch as an investor in the Company.”
The new Supervisory Board includes the following members, all representing Ventaleon shareholders: Dr. Jean Lüchinger, Abalis Finance AG (Chairman); Dr. Arnd Kaltofen, VI Partners; Dr. Karsten Fischer, BioMed Partners; Dr. Christian Schneider, Vesalius Biocapital Partners; Dr. Jörg Neermann, LSP; Dr. Gonzalo de Miquel, Vectura; and Dr. Gerhard Scheuch.
For further information, please contact:
Contact
Ventaleon GmbH
Dr. Ulrich Dauer, CEO
Tel.: +49-6453-58530-40
Media Inquiries
MC Services AG
Julia von Hummel
Tel: +49 89 210228 34
E-Mail: ventaleon@mc-services.eu
About Ventaleon GmbH: www.ventaleon.com
Ventaleon GmbH is a biotechnology company focused on the development of inhaled treatments against viral infections. The Company’s lead therapy candidate is an inhaled form of LASAG (D,L-lysine acetylsalicylate * glycine), which it is developing to treat severe influenza. A proof-of-concept study in influenza patients with moderate to severe symptoms demonstrated more rapid symptom decline when administered inhaled LASAG compared to standard of care. The Company is currently preparing to enter a pivotal clinical trial with inhaled LASAG. Ventaleon was founded as a spin-off from Activaero and is supported by a group of leading international investors, including Coöperatief LSP U.A., BioMedInvest II LP, Abalis Finance AG, Vesalius Biocapital I S.A., Venture Incubator AG, CatheyWorldInvestment Ltd. and BayBg as well as Vectura plc., Dr. Scheuch and other private investors.
