Agenus (NASDAQ: AGEN), an immuno-oncology company with an extensive
pipeline of checkpoint antibodies, cell therapies, adjuvants, and
vaccines designed to activate immune response to cancers and
infections today announced the launch of SaponiQx, a subsidiary of
Agenus, dedicated to driving innovation in novel adjuvant discovery
and vaccine design, and its partnership with Ginkgo Bioworks, Inc.
(“Ginkgo”), the leading horizontal platform for cell programming.
Ginkgo, which recently announced a business combination with
Soaring Eagle Acquisition Corp. (Nasdaq: SRNG), is enabling
customers across industries to improve products and manufacturing
processes, and to increase efficiency and sustainability, by making
biology easier to engineer.
SaponiQx is building an innovative adjuvant platform to deliver
both sustainable manufacturing approaches and a secure supply of
known adjuvants, as well as discover novel adjuvants and develop
new, more effective vaccines utilizing optimized antigen-adjuvant
pairings. Adjuvants are substances known to enhance the body’s
immune response and are a key component of many existing vaccines.
Ginkgo’s experience in metabolic engineering, enzymatic
diversification, and process optimization can be applied to
discover novel adjuvants and improve current manufacturing
processes that can then be applied toward developing
better-integrated vaccines.
“Vaccines are one of the most powerful tools we have to fight
pandemics, but ensuring widespread access to efficacious vaccines
continues to be a major challenge worldwide,” says Jason Kelly, CEO
of Ginkgo Bioworks. “We’re proud that our platform is being used by
companies across the vaccine supply chain to develop and
manufacture the materials necessary for life-saving vaccines.”
“Agenus is pleased for SaponiQx to collaborate with Ginkgo
Bioworks to develop its novel saponin products from sustainably
sourced raw materials, with a goal to meet the current demands
placed on the vaccine industry for pandemic vaccines,” says Garo
Armen, CEO and Chairman of Agenus and Executive Chairman of
SaponiQx. “QS21 Stimulon™ has shown long term efficacy and
long-term protection in both commercially launched and experimental
vaccines.”
About SaponiQxSaponiQx plans to be a global,
integrated immune-education medicine company which is planning to
develop safe and effective immunomodulators to protect the world's
population from health threats. Its pipeline is led by the
best-in-class QS21 Stimulon™ adjuvant already used in GSK’s
Shingrix™ vaccine and is expected to include a wide-ranging
portfolio of saponin-based adjuvants and vaccines, including
AutoSynVax™, PhosphoSynVax™, and Prophage™. SaponiQx is
headquartered in Lexington, MA. For more information, please visit
www.saponiQx.com and our Twitter handle, @saponiQx.
Contact:SaponiQx Investor
Relationsinvestor@saponiqx.com
SaponiQx Media Relationsmedia@saponiqx.com
About AgenusAgenus is a clinical-stage
immuno-oncology company focused on the discovery and development of
therapies that engage the body's immune system to fight cancer. The
Company's vision is to expand the patient populations benefiting
from cancer immunotherapy by pursuing combination approaches that
leverage a broad repertoire of antibody therapeutics, adoptive cell
therapies (through its MiNK Therapeutics subsidiary), and
proprietary cancer vaccine platforms. The Company is equipped with
a suite of antibody discovery platforms and a state-of-the-art GMP
manufacturing facility with the capacity to support clinical
programs. Agenus is headquartered in Lexington, MA. For more
information, please visit www.agenusbio.com and our Twitter handle,
@agenus_bio. Information that may be important to investors will be
routinely posted on our website and on Twitter.
ContactAgenus Investor
RelationsJan Medina,
CFAAgenus781-674-4490Jan.Medina@agenusbio.com
Agenus Media RelationsKimberly HaKKH
Advisors917-291-5744kimberly.ha@kkhadvisors.com
About Ginkgo BioworksGinkgo is building a
platform to enable customers to program cells as easily as we can
program computers. The company's platform is enabling biotechnology
applications across diverse markets, from food and agriculture to
industrial chemicals to pharmaceuticals. Ginkgo has also actively
supported a number of COVID-19 response efforts, including K-12
pooled testing, vaccine manufacturing optimization and therapeutics
discovery. In May 2021, Ginkgo announced a business combination
with Soaring Eagle Acquisition Corp. (Nasdaq: SRNG), which, if
completed, will result in Ginkgo, through a parent entity, Ginkgo
Bioworks Holdings, Inc., becoming a public company. The
extraordinary general meeting of Soaring Eagle’s shareholders in
connection with the transaction has been scheduled for September
14, 2021 and the transaction is expected to close shortly
thereafter, subject to customary closing conditions. For more
information, visit www.ginkgobioworks.com.
MEDIA CONTACT:press@ginkgobioworks.com
INVESTOR
CONTACT:investors@ginkgobioworks.com
ADDITIONAL LEGAL INFORMATION
Forward-Looking Statements Legend
This document contains certain forward-looking statements within
the meaning of the federal securities laws with respect to the
proposed transaction between Ginkgo and Soaring Eagle, including
statements regarding the anticipated timing of the transaction, the
services offered by Ginkgo and the markets in which it operates,
and Ginkgo's projected future results. These forward-looking
statements generally are identified by the words "believe,"
"project," "potential," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate,"
"intend," "strategy," "future," "opportunity," "plan," "may,"
"should," "will," "would," "will be," "will continue," "will likely
result," and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are
predictions, projections and other statements about future events
that are based on current expectations and assumptions and, as a
result, are subject to risks and uncertainties. Many factors could
cause actual future events to differ materially from the
forward-looking statements in this document, including but not
limited to: (i) the risk that the transaction may not be completed
in a timely manner or at all, which may adversely affect the price
of Soaring Eagle's securities, (ii) the risk that the transaction
may not be completed by Soaring Eagle's business combination
deadline and the potential failure to obtain an extension of the
business combination deadline if sought by Soaring Eagle, (iii) the
failure to satisfy the conditions to the consummation of the
transaction, including the adoption of the agreement and plan of
merger by the shareholders of Soaring Eagle and Ginkgo, the
satisfaction of the minimum trust account amount following
redemptions by Soaring Eagle's public shareholders and the receipt
of certain governmental and regulatory approvals, (iv) the lack of
a third party valuation in determining whether or not to pursue the
proposed transaction, (v) the occurrence of any event, change or
other circumstance that could give rise to the termination of the
agreement and plan of merger, (vi) the effect of the announcement
or pendency of the transaction on Ginkgo business relationships,
performance, and business generally, (vii) risks that the proposed
transaction disrupts current plans of Ginkgo and potential
difficulties in Ginkgo employee retention as a result of the
proposed transaction, (viii) the outcome of any legal proceedings
that may be instituted against Ginkgo or against Soaring Eagle
related to the agreement and plan of merger or the proposed
transaction, (ix) the ability to maintain the listing of Soaring
Eagle's securities on Nasdaq, (x) volatility in the price of
Soaring Eagle's securities due to a variety of factors, including
changes in the competitive and highly regulated industries in which
Ginkgo plans to operate, variations in performance across
competitors, changes in laws and regulations affecting Ginkgo's
business and changes in the combined capital structure, (xi) the
ability to implement business plans, forecasts, and other
expectations after the completion of the proposed transaction, and
identify and realize additional opportunities, and (xii) the risk
of downturns in demand for products using synthetic biology. The
foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. You should carefully
consider the foregoing factors and the other risks and
uncertainties described in the "Risk Factors'' section of Soaring
Eagle's proxy statement/prospectus relating to the transaction (the
"Proxy Statement"), and in Soaring Eagle's other filings with the
SEC. Soaring Eagle and Ginkgo caution that the foregoing list of
factors is not exclusive. Soaring Eagle and Ginkgo caution readers
not to place undue reliance upon any forward-looking statements,
which speak only as of the date made. Neither Soaring Eagle nor
Ginkgo undertake or accept any obligation or undertaking to release
publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements
to reflect any change in its expectations or any change in events,
conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is
based.
Additional Information and Where to Find It
This document relates to a proposed transaction between Ginkgo
and Soaring Eagle. This document does not constitute an offer to
sell or exchange, or the solicitation of an offer to buy or
exchange, any securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities
in any jurisdiction in which such offer, sale or exchange would be
unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the
securities laws of any such jurisdiction. In connection with the
proposed transaction, Soaring Eagle filed a Proxy Statement on
August 13, 2021. The Proxy Statement has been sent to all Soaring
Eagle shareholders as of the record date of August 10, 2021.
Soaring Eagle also will file other documents regarding the proposed
transaction with the SEC. Before making any voting decision,
investors and security holders of Soaring Eagle and Ginkgo are
urged to read the registration statement, the proxy
statement/prospectus and all other relevant documents filed or that
will be filed with the SEC in connection with the proposed
transaction as they become available because they will contain
important information about the proposed transaction.
Investors and security holders may obtain free copies of the
proxy statement/prospectus and all other relevant documents filed
or that will be filed with the SEC by Soaring Eagle through the
website maintained by the SEC at www.sec.gov. In addition, the
documents filed by Soaring Eagle may be obtained free of charge by
written request to Soaring Eagle at 955 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY,
10075, Attention: Eli Baker, Chief Financial Officer, (310)
209-7280.
Participants in Solicitation
Soaring Eagle and Ginkgo and their respective directors and
officers may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of
proxies from Soaring Eagle's shareholders in connection with the
proposed transaction. Information about Soaring Eagle's directors
and executive officers and their ownership of Soaring Eagle's
securities is set forth in Soaring Eagle's filings with the SEC. To
the extent that holdings of Soaring Eagle's securities have changed
since the amounts printed in Soaring Eagle's proxy statement, such
changes have been or will be reflected on Statements of Change in
Ownership on Form 4 filed with the SEC. Additional information
regarding the interests of those persons and other persons who may
be deemed participants in the proposed transaction may be obtained
by reading the proxy statement/prospectus regarding the proposed
transaction when it becomes available. You may obtain free copies
of these documents as described in the preceding paragraph.
Agenus/SaponiQx Forward Looking Statements:
This press release contains forward-looking statements that are
made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the federal
securities laws, including statements regarding SaponiQx’s business
plans, including its collaboration with Ginkgo and its ability to
successfully develop its technology, including its ability to build
an adjuvant platform, create and deliver sustainable and improved
manufacturing approaches, create a secure supply of known
adjuvants, and generate novel or optimized adjuvants and vaccine
candidates.. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks
and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ
materially. These risks and uncertainties include, among others,
the factors described under the Risk Factors section of our most
recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q or Annual Report on Form 10-K
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Agenus cautions
investors not to place considerable reliance on the forward-looking
statements contained in this release. These statements speak only
as of the date of this press release, and Agenus undertakes no
obligation to update or revise the statements, other than to the
extent required by law. All forward-looking statements are
expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary
statement.
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