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Leiden, The Netherlands and Strasbourg, France, June 29, 2000. IntroGene B.V. and TRANSGENE (Nasdaq: TRGNY; Nouveau Marché: TRANSGENE) announced today that they have signed a memorandum of understanding to establish a collaboration in the field of complementation cell lines for commercial production of adenoviral vectors. The agreement between the two companies provides for the non-exclusive cross-licensing of certain of their respective intellectual property rights and for the joint development and marketing of a new generation of complementation cell lines derived from IntroGene's proprietary PER.C6(TM) cell line.
A large number of gene therapy products are currently being developed to treat diseases for which there is no cure at present, including various types of cancer, cardiovascular diseases and hereditary disorders. Different types of vectors are used to transfer the therapeutic genes into the patient's cells. Vectors derived from the adenovirus (a benign virus that has been rendered incapable of replication by deleting several of its genes) are the most commonly used and are considered the most efficient. Special production cell lines that are able to complement the functions of the deleted genes are necessary to produce the adenoviral vector on a commercial scale.
The PER.C6 cell line was developed by IntroGene. PER.C6 is currently the only available system to manufacture safe batches of adenovirus, free of replication competent ('live') adenovirus. It is being licensed extensively to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies involved in the development of adenoviral-based gene therapy products. Under the agreement, IntroGene and TRANSGENE will cross-license their respective patent rights covering certain PER.C6 and complementation cell line technologies.
TRANSGENE has developed new generations of adenoviral vectors, with longer expression and reduced toxicity compared to earlier generation adenoviral vectors, and owns a broad portfolio of patents and patent applications covering this field. TRANSGENE and IntroGene will collaborate in a program to develop derivatives of PER.C6 to produce TRANSGENE's new generation adenoviral vectors. The new cell lines resulting from the collaboration will be marketed jointly by the two companies.
"We are very pleased with this partnership." said Bernard GILLY, President and Chief Executive Officer of TRANSGENE. " By cross-licensing some of our two companies' patents, and combining significant research and development, know-how and marketing skills, we will be able to offer a unique technology package to the industry that we believe will serve as the standard for adenovirus-based products. We also believe that our collaboration will enable us to reduce the time to market of adenovirus based gene therapy products."
"The synergy created by this collaboration between our companies in the field of adenovirus technologies, will lead to a broader penetration of our platform technologies", said Dinko VALERIO, President and Chief Executive Officer of IntroGene. "Coupling PER.C6 with these existing complementary assets will help establish its position as the cell line of choice in the industry".
About IntroGene B.V. IntroGene B.V. is a privately held biotechnology company headquartered in Leiden, the Netherlands, with a subsidiary in Leuven, Belgium. IntroGene develops and utilizes enabling technologies in order to overcome current challenges in biopharmaceutical product development. PER.C6(TM), a human cell-line expression platform for the efficient production of biopharmaceuticals, is the Company's first product; it was developed for the production of safe batches of adenovirus, free of RCA. The company utilizes its new technologies to initiate the development of proprietary biopharmaceutical products in the therapeutic areas of cancer and cardiovascular diseases.
In 1999, IntroGene incorporated the 50/50 joint venture of Galapagos Genomics with the Belgian robotics/bio-informatics company Tibotec Group N.V., to further leverage its PER.C6 platform in the area of functional genomics.
To date, IntroGene has raised in excess of Euro 43 million from leading international venture capital firms.
About TRANSGENE TRANSGENE, based in Strasbourg, France, with an office near Boston, Massachusetts, is a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the discovery and development of gene delivery technologies and gene therapy products for the treatment of acquired or inherited diseases for which there is no cure or adequate therapy at present. The Company's proprietary technology platform consists of multiple vector families with a special emphasis on adenovirus, vaccinia virus, and synthetic vectors. TRANSGENE has five products in clinical development to treat a variety of cancer indications, including two products in phase II clinical trials and three products in phase I clinical trials.
TRANSGENE indicates that statements included in this press release which are not historical in nature are intended to be, and are hereby identified as, "forward-looking statements" for purposes of the safe harbor provided by Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements may be identified by words including "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "expects" and similar expressions. The Company cautions readers that forward-looking statements, including without limitation those relating to the Company's future operations and business prospects, are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Factors that may affect future operations and business prospects include, but are not limited to, clinical and scientific results and developments concerning corporate collaborations and the Company's proprietary rights and other factors described in its Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 1999 filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. |
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