QUEBEC CITY, July 28, 2015 /CNW Telbec/ - Aeterna
Zentaris Inc. (NASDAQ: AEZS) (TSX: AEZ) (the "Company")
today announced that it has granted to German life sciences
entrepreneurs with a proven track-record of funding the development
and commercialization of biotechnology (collectively, the
"Optionee"), an option to license the Company's live recombinant
oral allogenic tumor vaccine technology (the "Technology"),
including AEZS-120, the most advanced product candidate for
prostate cancer which is ready to enter a Phase 1 clinical trial.
This option is granted to the Optionee worldwide, for a period of
twelve months, in exchange for an upfront fee.
Pursuant to the option agreement, the Optionee has the right to
obtain a worldwide exclusive license to develop, use and sell
products relating to the Technology and AEZS-120, in exchange for
milestone payments and royalties on net sales of any product
developed from the Technology and an equity interest in the company
formed to develop the Technology. At the present time, Aeterna
Zentaris holds worldwide rights to the Technology, including
AEZS-120.
David A. Dodd, Chairman and CEO
of Aeterna Zentaris, commented, "This agreement is part of our
strategy of leveraging some of our promising early-stage drug
candidates in order to generate potential long-term value without
having to invest in their development. Our live recombinant oral
allogenic cancer vaccine is a novel approach to treating cancer and
could prove to be a beneficial option for the millions of people
suffering from different types of cancer."
About AEZS-120
AEZS-120 is a live recombinant oral allogenic cancer vaccine
candidate based on Salmonella typhi Ty21a as a carrier
strain. Salmonella typhi Ty21a is an approved oral typhoid
vaccine which has been safely applied in more than 250 million
doses. The principle of AEZS-120 is based on the recombinant
expression of prostate specific antigen fused to the B subunit of
cholera toxin and a secretion signal in the presence of the
Escherichia coli type I hemolysin secretion system. The
proprietary system allows the secretion of the antigen, together
with an immunological adjuvant which has been demonstrated to be
required for optimal induction of CD8 T-cell responses by
recombinant Salmonella based bacterial vaccines. The
proof-of-concept was demonstrated for the mouse homologue of
AEZS-120 in a mouse tumor-challenge model. In general, by varying
the antigen and/or the carrier, this proprietary platform
technology should be suitable for virtually any therapeutic or
prophylactic vaccine indication with a favorable cost of goods
expectation in large scale.
About Aeterna Zentaris
Aeterna Zentaris is a specialty biopharmaceutical company
engaged in developing and commercializing novel treatments in
oncology, endocrinology and women's health. For more information,
visit www.aezsinc.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements made
pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the US Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements involve
known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause the
Company's actual results to differ materially from those in the
forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include,
among others, the availability of funds and resources to pursue
R&D projects and clinical trials, the successful and timely
completion of clinical studies, the risk that safety and efficacy
data from any of our Phase 3 trials may not coincide with the data
analyses from previously reported Phase 1 and/or Phase 2 clinical
trials, the ability of the Company to efficiently commercialize one
or more of its products or product candidates, the ability of the
Company to take advantage of business opportunities in the
pharmaceutical industry, uncertainties related to the regulatory
process, the ability to protect our intellectual property, the
potential of liability arising from shareholder lawsuits and
general changes in economic conditions. Investors should consult
the Company's quarterly and annual filings with the Canadian and US
securities commissions for additional information on risks and
uncertainties relating to forward-looking statements. Investors are
cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking
statements. The Company does not undertake to update these
forward-looking statements. We disclaim any obligation to update
any such factors or to publicly announce the result of any
revisions to any of the forward-looking statements contained herein
to reflect future results, events or developments, unless required
to do so by a governmental authority or by applicable law.
SOURCE Aeterna Zentaris Inc.