Pharma news

 GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals S.A. (GSK) and AFFiRiS GmbH announced today the
execution of a collaboration agreement granting GSK exclusive rights to
AFFiRiS’s Alzheimer’s disease vaccine programmes, aimed at treating
Alzheimer’s by targeting beta-amyloid.

As part of the agreement GSK is acquiring exclusive rights to develop and
commercialise two Alzheimer’s disease vaccine candidates that are based on
AFFiRiS AFFiTOPE technology and are currently in Phase I clinical
development. AFFiRiS is also granting GSK an exclusive option to develop and
commercialise alternative Alzheimer’s disease vaccine candidates which are
in preclinical development.

Under the terms of the agreement, AFFiRiS will receive an up-front payment
of EUR 22.5 million (GBP 17.5 million) and could be eligible for future
milestone payments and royalties. The total potential value of the agreement
could reach EUR 430 million (GBP 334 million) in the event of full
commercial success of the candidate vaccines. This agreement is subject to
governmental authority approval.

Central to the deal is the AFFiRiS AFFiTOPE technology which allows the
design of proteins with very specific binding characteristics that are
ideally suited for the development of vaccines against disease-causing
“rogue” human proteins such as beta-amyloid which is central to the
pathology of Alzheimer’s disease.

Commenting on the agreement, Walter Schmidt, co-founder and CEO of AFFiRiS,
stated: “We are pleased that we could secure GSK Biologicals, one of the
world’s leading vaccine companies, in collaborating on the development our
Alzheimer’s disease vaccine programs. This deal brings together two
companies with strong innovation, vaccine development and commercialisation
capabilities and experience.”

Jean Stephenne, President and General Manager of GlaxoSmithKline
Biologicals, said “We are impressed with the AFFiRiS technology - combined
with our expertise in innovative adjuvant systems this collaboration will
improve our chance of success in the discovery of new treatments against
this major disease.”

Frank Mattner, co-founder and CSO of AFFiRiS, added: “For the treatment of
chronic diseases, our AFFiTOPE technology has the potential to deliver
innovative vaccines capable of inducing immune responses, with the
possibility of beneficial therapeutic effects. We hope that this agreement
will ultimately deliver a therapeutic benefit to Alzheimer’s patients.”

About GSK

GlaxoSmithKline - one of the world’s leading research-based pharmaceutical
and healthcare companies - is committed to improving the quality of human
life by enabling people to do more, feel better and live longer. For company
information, visit http://www.gsk.com .

About GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals

GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals (GSK Biologicals) is a global vaccine company
which has shown to be a leader in innovation. The company is active in the
fields of vaccine research, development and production with over 30 vaccines
approved for marketing and 20 more in development. Headquartered in Belgium,
GSK Biologicals has 14 manufacturing sites strategically positioned around
the globe. In 2007 GSK Biologicals distributed 1.1 billion doses of vaccines
to 169 countries in both developed and the developing world - an average of
3 million doses a day. GSK Biologicals employs over 9,000 people worldwide
including more than 1,600 passionate scientists engaged in research aimed at
discovering innovative vaccines that contribute to the health and well-being
of people of all generations around the world.

About AFFiRiS

AFFiRiS GmbH develops peptide-based vaccines for the treatment of
Alzheimer’s disease, atherosclerosis and other diseases that urgently
require a medical solution. The company has established platform
technologies and has a worldwide patent portfolio covering their vaccine
candidates. The company employs 35 highly qualified members of staff on 600
sqm of rented laboratory facilities at the Campus Vienna Biocenter.

http://www.affiris.com

Source
Mag. Michaela Fritsch
PR&D - Public Relations für Forschung & Bildung

This entry was posted on Friday, October 24th, 2008 at 11:16 pm and is filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.