Imprime PGG® Named a Top 10 Oncology Drug Candidate for Partnering
Windhover Information and Campbell Alliance Select Biothera Drug
EAGAN, MN — September 24, 2009 — Biothera, a privately held biotechnology company, announced today that its lead drug candidate, Imprime PGG®, has been named one of the Top 10 Most Interesting Oncology Projects Available for Partnering by Windhover Information Inc. in conjunction with an independent expert advisory group, Campbell Alliance.
Imprime PGG is a Phase II cancer drug candidate that triggers neutrophils, the largest population of immune cells in the body (50-70%), to kill cancer cells. Imprime PGG activates a natural immune cell killing method, which is not normally used against cancer, to kill monoclonal antibody-targeted tumor cells. This novel immunotherapy represents a significant enhancement over monoclonal antibodies alone and can be used to treat multiple cancers.
“With more than 700 oncology drugs in development worldwide, Windhover’s selection of Imprime PGG is further validation of the tremendous opportunity our unique technology has for improving outcomes for patients with a wide range of cancers,” said Daniel Conners, Chairman of Biothera and President of its Pharmaceutical Group. “We are encouraged by the positive results we see in the clinic and are confident that Imprime PGG will become an important combination therapy with anti-tumor monoclonal antibodies.”
Imprime PGG is currently in four clinical trials for colorectal and lung cancer.
• The company is nearing completion of a dual-arm Phase Ib/IIa clinical trial in colorectal cancer patients. In arm one, the combination of Imprime PGG, Erbitux® (Cetuximab) and Camptosar® (Irinotecan) nearly doubled the overall response rate of second- and third-line metastatic colorectal cancer patients compared with the standard of care. The fully enrolled second arm, which is evaluating the combination of Imprime PGG and Erbitux alone without chemotherapy, has shown similarly positive results.
• Biothera has a multicenter Phase II clinical trial in stage IV KRAS-mutated colorectal cancer with patients receiving Imprime PGG in combination with Erbitux. The study may enroll up to 57 patients.
• Biothera has launched an open label, multicenter, randomized Phase II clinical trials with Imprime PGG in combination Avastin® (Bevacizumab) and two chemotherapeutic agents in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
• A second open-label, multicenter randomized NSCLC trial studying a combination of Imprime PGG, Erbitux and chemotherapy. Both lung cancer trials will enroll up to 90 patients.
"Selected companies have been screened using a strict set of judging criteria for the Top 10 award,” said Roger Longman, Managing Director, Pharma, of Elsevier Business Intelligence. "Winners have met rigorous criteria including: unmet medical need, market potential, diversity of indications, strong science, multi-level partnering opportunities (biotech and pharma), potential for new opportunities beyond initial indications, and corporate stability. Many of our past companies have gone on to do big deals."
Each project has been hand-selected by Windhover's elite selection panel to ensure a high-quality slate of presenters. Biothera will present at Windhover’s Therapeutic Area Partnerships event, November 17-19, in Boston.
About Imprime PGG®
Imprime PGG® is a novel immunotherapy that works synergistically with anti-tumor monoclonal antibodies by activating a large population of the body’s immune cells (neutrophils) to kill antibody- targeted cancer cells. As a platform therapeutic in oncology, Imprime PGG® has the potential to improve patient response rates for existing monoclonal antibody therapies in approved indications, create new indications for these drugs and enhance the efficacy of development-stage monoclonal antibody drugs.
About Biothera, the Immune Health Company
Biothera is a biotechnology company dedicated to improving immune health. The company is developing pharmaceuticals that engage the innate immune system to fight cancer.
About Windhover
Windhover Information Inc., an Elsevier company, has led the field in providing analysis of the healthcare industry to decision-makers at all levels since the founding of its flagship publication, IN VIVO, The Business & Medicine Report, in 1983. Windhover provides its information and analysis in many formats, including print, electronic databases, international conferences and webinars. For more on the company's products and services, please see www.windhover.com.
Contact:
David Walsh
VP Communications
Biothera, the Immune Health Company
651-256-4606 (direct)
dwalsh@biothera.com