Shire Plc. : arGEN-X enters into a therapeutic antibody alliance with Shire
02/29/2012| 05:01am US/Eastern
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Rotterdam, the Netherlands and Ghent, Belgium February
29, 2012- arGEN-X, a biopharmaceutical company
focused on the discovery and development of human monoclonal
antibodies from its proprietary SIMPLE Antibody™ platform,
announces today that it has entered into an alliance with
Shire to create novel therapeutic antibody products against
multiple targets submitted by Shire.
Using its cutting edge SIMPLE Antibody™ discovery
technology, arGEN-X will isolate and characterize human
antibodies against the targets that Shire has identified and
that are known to contribute to the pathophysiology of
severe, rare genetic diseases. arGEN-X will also bring its
state-of-the-art antibody capabilities to the collaboration
for the preclinical characterization of therapeutic leads.
Shire has the option to license the most promising leads for
further preclinical and clinical development and
commercialization worldwide.
Under the terms of the agreement, arGEN-X will receive
an upfront technology access fee, research funding and
preclinical success payments. In return for its option to
develop and commercialize products on an exclusive basis,
Shire will pay fees, milestones and royalties on product
sales. Specific details of the financial terms were not
disclosed.
Tim Van Hauwermeiren, CEO of arGEN-X, said, "We
are delighted to pioneer human antibodies as novel,
first-in-class therapies for rare diseases with a partner of
Shire's calibre. Shire's depth of experience in
protein-based therapies is the perfect complement to our own
discovery capabilities. We are confident that our SIMPLE
Antibody™ platform, which consistently delivers antibodies of
therapeutic quality against complex targets often intractable
with other technologies, will bring significant value to this
alliance. We believe this alliance represents an industry
first and we are looking forward to an exciting and
productive collaboration with Shire."
"As a leader in innovative therapies for rare
diseases, Shire is continuing to apply new technologies to
address the needs of patients," said Philip J. Vickers,
Senior Vice President, Research and Development, Shire Human
Genetic Therapies (HGT). "Monoclonal antibody therapy is
an underutilized approach to the treatment of rare diseases,
and this novel platform has the potential to bring multiple
drug candidates into our early-stage pipeline. Partnerships
such as this one with arGEN-X are an important part of our
strategy to bring new therapies to those suffering from rare
diseases worldwide."
About arGEN-X- www.arGEN-X.com
arGEN-X is a preclinical stage biopharmaceutical
company that is rapidly leveraging the power of its broadly
applicable, proprietary SIMPLE Antibody™ platform to generate
fully human antibodies with differentiated qualities and
outstanding therapeutic potential. The platform excels in
delivering large panels of ultra-potent, functionally diverse
antibodies against complex disease targets, especially cell
surface receptors and highly conserved proteins. The superior
choice that arGEN-X brings to antibody discovery enables it
to prioritise leads with best-in-class therapeutic
properties, thereby increasing the probability of development
success. Antibody leads generated from the SIMPLE Antibody™
platform have outstanding physicochemical properties and
consistent manufacturability, enabling a seamless transition
from discovery into development. arGEN-X has validated its
technology on multiple diverse classes of target to date and
has successfully delivered in its collaboration with Eli
Lilly & Co..
arGEN-X' SIMPLE Antibody™ platform is based on the
active immunization of Camelids with target antigens to
deliver antibody variable regions that are essentially
identical to those of human antibodies. arGEN-X is able to
generate full size, human therapeutic antibodies by combining
these variable regions with human constant domains.
The SIMPLE Antibody™ platform is covered by broad
patent claims, enjoys an independent, unencumbered patent
position and is free of target gatekeeping
restrictions.
arGEN-X™ and SIMPLE Antibody™ are deposited trademarks
of arGEN-X BV.
SIMPLE stands
forSuperiorI
mmunodiversity
withMinimalP
roteinLeadE
ngineering.
Shire PLC
Shire's strategic goal is to become the leading
specialty biopharmaceutical company that focuses on meeting
the needs of the specialist physician. Shire focuses its
business on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, human
genetic therapies, gastrointestinal diseases and regenerative
medicine as well as opportunities in other therapeutic areas
to the extent they arise through acquisitions. Shire's
in-licensing, merger and acquisition efforts are focused on
products in specialist markets with strong intellectual
property protection and global rights. Shire believes that a
carefully selected and balanced portfolio of products with
strategically aligned and relatively small-scale sales forces
will deliver strong results.
For further information on Shire, please visit the
Company's website: www.shire.com.
For further information, please contact:
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Citigate Dewe Rogerson
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arGEN-X
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David Dible
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Tim Van Hauwermeiren, MSc, eMBA
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Mark Swallow
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Chief Executive Officer
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Nina Enegren
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T: +31 6 122 85 257
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T: +44 207 282 2949/2948/1050
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Debbie Allen, Ph.D.
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Senior Director, Business Development
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T: +44 7974 979479
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Shire - Human Genetic Therapies US
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Shire Corporate
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Jessica Cotrone
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Jessica Mann
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T: +1 781 482 9538
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T: +44 1256 894280
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