Copenhagen and Oslo, 2011-04-27 16:01 CEST (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Affitech A/S, (NASDAQ OMX: AFFI), the antibody medicines company has signed a license agreement with Cancer Research Technology (CRT), the commercial arm of Cancer Research UK. The agreement grants Affitech exclusive rights to a CRT patent application and relevant know how to develop and use therapeutic antibodies that recognize and block the function of CCR4, a protein found on certain tumors - including early and late stage cervical cancer and esophageal cancer.
Affitech will continue to develop its existing anti-CCR4 antibody program AT008, which is currently in pre-clinical development, and Affitech will be able to use any candidate identified in that program in the future for the licensed diagnostic and therapeutic applications.
Cancer Research UK-funded scientist, Professor Frances Balkwill, based at Queen Mary University of London was first to discover that CCR4 is present on cancer cells in various solid tumors, and was a promising target for new drugs to treat a range of cancer types. Cancer Research Technology holds a patent application based on this research and Cancer Research UK has funded further research to prove that CCR4 is a valuable therapeutic target.
Coinciding with the license deal, Cancer Research Technology, Affitech and QMUL have also signed a collaborative agreement to provide pre-clinical validation for Affitech’s AT008 program – with the aim of proving the potential of the AT008 program as a new drug program to treat cancer using techniques developed in Professor Balkwill’s laboratory. This program will be fully funded by Affitech.
CCR4 is one of 18 known chemokine receptors - proteins which bind molecules called chemokines to trigger various cellular responses. Chemokine receptors are generally present on the surface of immune cells. But a few – now known to include CCR4 - are also found on the surface of tumor cells, while not present on healthy cells. The roles of chemokine receptors in tumor progression are thought to include: to evade immune responses, and to increase the ability of cancer cells to move from the original tumor and to spread to other parts of the body.
Developing antibodies to interfere with CCR4-expressing cells, such as under the AT008 program, could provide a new highly targeted treatment to block cancer growth and spread for a range of solid tumor types.
Dr Phil L’Huillier, Cancer Research Technology’s director of business development, said: “This important license deal combines Cancer Research UK’s world-class research expertise in the exciting area of chemokine research with the development of Affitech’s existing AT008 antibody program. This opens new avenues of research and development for potential therapies which could increase survival for patients with a range of cancer types.”
Dr Alexander Duncan, Affitech’s chief scientific officer, said:
“We are delighted to have attracted the interest and participation of an outstanding investigator at the forefront of cancer research. Professor Balkwill is at the leading edge of understanding cancer biology and will be a huge asset to our anti-cancer program. She is a world leader in understanding the role of immunology in cancer, particularly the chemokine system. We have embarked on an ambitious program to understand potential mechanisms of action of the anti-CCR4 antibody program, AT008, and its application in solid tumors. This agreement and research collaboration will extend our capabilities to advance our lead therapeutic GPCR targeted AT008/CCR4 program significantly.”
Under the license, Cancer Research Technology will receive an initial signature payment, as well as pre-clinical and clinical development milestone payments, and royalties on sales of CCR4 antibodies developed by Affitech.
Cancer Research Technology retains rights to the therapeutic use in solid tumors of antibodies against CCL17 and CCL22 – the chemokine molecules which bind to CCR4 receptor to trigger cellular responses.
For media enquiries please contact:
Affitech: Randi Krogsgaard, Director IR & Corporate Communications
Tel # +45 2320 1001, e-mail: ir@affitech.com
Cancer Research Technology: Rachel Gonzaga on 020 3469 8300 or, out-of-hours, the duty press officer on 07050 264 059.
About Affitech
Affitech AS is a publicly traded (NASDAQ OMX Copenhagen) human therapeutic antibody company based in Copenhagen, Denmark with R&D facilities in Oslo, Norway. The company utilizes a range of proprietary antibody technologies for the discovery of fully human antibodies for application in oncology, inflammation and other disease areas. CBAS™ (Cell Based Antibody Selection) is Affitech’s premier discovery engine for the isolation of lead antibodies to cell surface molecules. Affitech co-develops its two lead antibody drug candidates AT001/r84 and AT008/CCR4 with Russian partner NauchTekhStroy Plus. Further information is available at www.affitech.com.
About Cancer Research Technology (CRT)
Cancer Research Technology (CRT) is a specialist commercialization and development company, which aims to develop new discoveries in cancer research for the benefit of cancer patients. CRT works closely with leading international cancer scientists and their institutes to protect intellectual property arising from their research and to establish links with commercial partners. CRT facilitates the discovery, development and marketing of new cancer therapeutics, vaccines, diagnostics and enabling technologies. CRT is a wholly owned subsidiary of Cancer Research UK, the largest independent funder of cancer research in the world. Further information about CRT can be found at www.cancertechnology.com
About Cancer Research UK
Cancer Research UK is the world’s leading cancer charity dedicated to saving lives through research
- The charity’s groundbreaking work into the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer has helped save millions of lives. This work is funded entirely by the public.
- Cancer Research UK has been at the heart of the progress that has already seen survival rates double in the last forty years.
- Cancer Research UK supports research into all aspects of cancer through the work of over 4,000 scientists, doctors and nurses.
- Together with its partners and supporters, Cancer Research UK's vision is to beat cancer.
For further information about Cancer Research UK's work or to find out how to support the charity, please call 020 7121 6699 or visit www.cancerresearchuk.org
Queen Mary, University of London
Queen Mary, University of London is one of the UK’s leading research-focused higher education institutions with some 16,000 students and postgraduate students.
Disclaimer
This news release contains forward-looking statements and forecasts based on uncertainty, since they relate to events and depend on circumstances that will occur in the future and which, by their nature, will have an impact on results of the financial condition and operations of Affitech A/S. There are many factors that could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements and forecasts. These factors include, among other things, risks associated with technological development, the risk that research & development will not yield new products that achieve commercial success, the impact of competition, the ability to transact viable and profitable commercial deals, the risk of non-approval of patents not yet granted, and difficulties of obtaining relevant governmental approvals for new products.