Leuven, Belgium 1 September 2017 - ONCURIOUS NV, a Belgium-based biotech company focusing on the development of innovative oncology treatments, today announces that it has reached principle agreement with VIB to acquire exclusive licences to a portfolio of five unique next generation immuno-oncology assets, based on seminal work originating from the VIB-KU Leuven labs of Massimiliano Mazzone and Gabriele Bergers, and from the VIB-VUB lab of Jo Van Ginderachter.
Oncurious broadens its ongoing clinical development activities in orphan pediatric oncology indications with preclinical research and drug development programs, resulting in an exciting pipeline of next-generation immuno-oncology drugs targeting a broad spectrum of cancers.
VIB Discovery Sciences will take the lead in the pre-clinical development of these new projects. As part of this agreement, VIB will increase its stake in Oncurious, with ThromboGenics remaining the majority shareholder. VIB will also receive a royalty on future sales of any of these assets. ThromboGenics invests an additional €2.1 million in Oncurious.
Dr Johan Cardoen, Managing Director of VIB comments, "VIB has been developing a portfolio of next-generation immuno-oncology assets. As there are a lot of synergies within that portfolio, we also see the opportunity to develop all assets within one company. As a venture partner of Oncurious, we are looking forward to take the company to the next level."
Patrik De Haes, MD, Executive Chairman of ONCURIOUS NV comments, "This new collaboration with VIB and the resulting portfolio propels Oncurious into the very exciting area of immuno-oncology, with a focus on next generation therapies. We are very privileged to have the world-class VIB-team as our venture partner."
Oncurious is currently conducting a Phase I/IIa clinical trial for the evaluation of TB-403 in the treatment of medulloblastoma, in collaboration with BioInvent. TB-403 is a humanized monoclonal antibody against placental growth factor (PlGF). PlGF is expressed in several types of cancer, including medulloblastoma.
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For further information please contact:
| Oncurious / ThromboGenics Wouter Piepers +32 16 75 13 10 / +32 478 33 56 32 wouter.piepers@oncurious.com (mailto:wouter.piepers@oncurious.com) | Citigate Dewe Rogerson David Dible /Sylvie Berrebi / Isabelle Andrews Tel: +44 20 7282 9571 thrombogenics@citigatedr.co.uk (mailto:david.dible@citigatedr.co.uk) |
About VIB
Basic research in life sciences is VIB's raison d'être. VIB is pushing the boundaries of molecular mechanisms and how they rule living organisms, such as human beings, animals, plants and microorganisms, while also creating tangible results for the benefit of society. Based on a close partnership with five Flemish universities - Ghent University, KU Leuven, University of Antwerp, Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Hasselt University - and supported by a solid funding program, VIB unites the expertise of 75 research groups in a single institute. VIB's technology transfer activities translate research results into new economic ventures which, in time, lead to new products that can be used in medicine, agriculture and other applications. VIB also engages actively in the public debate on biotechnology by developing and disseminating a wide range of science-based information about all aspects of biotechnology. More information: www.vib.be (http://www.vib.be/).
About ONCURIOUS NV
ONCURIOUS NV is a Belgium-based privately held oncology company focused on the development of innovative medicines for the treatment of cancers. The Company is a venture between ThromboGenics NV and VIB, the leading life science research institute in Flanders, Belgium.
Oncurious is currently developing a portfolio of next generation immune-oncology assets and targets. The company is already recruiting patients in a Phase I/IIa clinical program with TB-403 for the treatment of medulloblastoma, a rare life-threatening brain tumor that mainly affects children. More information on Oncurious NV can be found at www.oncurious.com (http://www.oncurious.com)
The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein.
Source: ThromboGenics NV via Globenewswire
