Oncodesign Signs Additional 2-Year Preclinical Research Contract to Evaluate Antibody-Drug Conjugates

Regulatory News:

ONCODESIGN (FR0011766229 - ALONC), a biotechnology company serving the pharmaceutical industry in the discovery and testing of new therapeutic molecules to fight cancer and other serious illnesses with high unmet medical need, announced today the signing of a 2 year-sponsored research program with Synthon Biopharmaceuticals, an international pharmaceutical company with highly focused development activities for new molecular entities in the therapeutic areas of oncology and autoimmune diseases.

The program aims at demonstrating the potent activity of a number of Synthon’s proprietary antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), for multiple oncology targets. In the antibody-drug conjugation approach, highly toxic molecules are attached to highly specific antibodies thereby increasing their tumor cell-killing capability. Synthon controls a unique technology position with respect to both the linker and drug components, and methods for conjugation to antibodies; these drugs are members of the class of duocarmycins having potency in the low picomolar range, which are suitable for maximizing the ADC's cell-killing potency.

Oncodesign will dedicate to Synthon’s preclinical oncology programs a preferential access to all of Oncodesign’s internal and externally partnered technological platforms including cell lines assays, in vivo models, imaging and imaging-related capabilities.

Synthon and Oncodesign had entered into a collaboration in 2011 for preclinical oncology research programs. The recently signed contract extends the collaboration to 2016. Financial details will not be disclosed.

Philippe Genne, Chairman and CEO of Oncodesign, commented: "This close collaboration brings together Synthon’s expertise in next generation medicines and Oncodesign’s state-of-the-art technology for humanized cancer models on the preclinical evaluation of antibody-drug conjugates. In 20 years of service, we have evaluated more than 3,000 compounds among all the anticancer therapeutic classes. This gives us a real advantage over our competitors.”

About ONCODESIGN: www.oncodesign.com

Founded 20 years ago by Dr. Philippe Genne, the Company’s CEO and majority shareholder, ONCODESIGN is a biotechnology company that maximizes the pharmaceutical industry’s chances of success in discovering new therapeutic molecules to fight cancer and other serious illnesses with no known efficient treatment. Backed by unique experience acquired through more than 500 clients, including the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies, and relying on a comprehensive technological platform combining state-of-the-art medicinal chemistry, advanced animal modeling and medical imaging, ONCODESIGN is able to predict and identify for every molecule, very upstream, its therapeutic use and its potential to become an efficient drug. Applied to kinase inhibitors, molecules that represent a market estimated at over 40 billion dollars in 2016 and accounting for almost 25% of the pharmaceutical industry’s R&D investments, ONCODESIGN’s technology has already enabled the targeting of 7 promising molecules with substantial therapeutic potential, in oncology and elsewhere, and the signing of partnerships, potentially worth €350 million in upfront payments should predefined milestones be reached, with pharmaceutical groups Sanofi, Ipsen and UCB. Based in Dijon, France, in the heart of the town’s university and hospital hub, ONCODESIGN has 75 staff.