March 29, 2004 -- News Release
Micromet and Arizeke Enter Patent License Agreement for SingleChain Antibody Technology
New Opportunity for the Non-Parenteral Delivery of Therapeutic Proteins or Genes Munich, Germany and San Diego, CA, US -- Micromet AG and Arizeke Pharmaceuticals Inc. have signed an agreement, under which Arizeke obtains a worldwide, non-exclusive license from Micromet to its single-chain antibody (SCA) patent portfolio for the development and commercialization of Arizeke’s proprietary drug delivery technology. Under the terms of the agreement, Arizeke gains the right to create and commercialize SCAs targeting its proprietary pIgR antigen. In return, Micromet will receive an upfront payment and annual maintenance fees, as well as milestone and royalty payments from the development and commercialization of any resulting products. “Arizeke employs an innovative approach to deliver protein therapeutics genetically fused to a single-chain antibody. Micromet is committed to facilitate access to expand the clinical utility of this exciting technology through our ongoing licensing initiatives,” said Christian Itin, CEO, Micromet AG. “The intellectual property portfolio offered by Micromet is a compelling technology platform for the development of SCA products,” said Stan Fleming, Chairman and CEO, Arizeke Pharmaceuticals, Inc. “We are pleased to have gained access to this important technology to continue to advance our product development initiatives.” ###
Contact for Micromet Licensing: Agustin de la Calle, Ph.D. Email: agustin.calle@micromet.de Phone: +49 (0) 89 895 277-296, Fax: -285 Press: Evelyn Wolf Email: evelyn.wolf@micromet.de Phone: +49 (0) 89 895 277-220, Fax: -205 Investors: Ines-Regina Buth Email: ines-regina.buth@micromet.de Phone: +49 (0) 89 895 277-221, Fax: -205
Contact for Arizeke Paulo Rangel Email: prangel@arizeke.com Phone: +1 858 455-6907 x234 Fax: + 1 858 455-6908
Page 1 of 2 Micromet AG, Staffelseestr. 2, 81477 Munich, Germany, www.micromet.de
About Single-Chain Antibodies SCAs combine the antigen binding regions of antibodies on a single polypeptide chain. They are considerably smaller in size than conventional antibodies, and can be produced conveniently on a commercial scale in microbial protein expression systems, providing significant cost-savings when compared to monoclonal antibodies. SCAs are highly versatile and can readily be genetically engineered to work in a variety of formats. These formats include SCAs specific for cell-surface receptors for application as biological antagonists and agonists; SCAs designed to block the activity of cytokines and other soluble biological mediators; and SCA-fusion proteins, where cell-specific SCAs are “armed” with toxins, radionuclides, enzymes, or cytotoxic drugs for selective elimination of particular cell types, for example in cancer. The variety of SCA formats make them attractive products potentially suitable for a broad range of therapeutic applications, beyond the reach of conventional monoclonal antibodies in areas such as cancer, central nervous system disorders, transplantation, inflammation and autoimmunity. The ability to deliver SCAs by alternative routes of administration, e.g. by pulmonary delivery, and to predictably extend the biological half-life of SCAs by PEGylation, further expands the clinical utility of SCA products beyond the range of monoclonal antibodies. About Micromet AG Micromet AG, a private Munich-based biotechnology company, puts novel concepts in immunotherapy to work. Using proprietary technologies, the Company is building a strong pipeline of innovative drug candidates for the treatment of cancer, inflammation and autoimmune disease, with two of them currently in clinical trials. Beyond its proprietary BiTE™ product engine, the Company is exploiting the potential of SCAs (single-chain antibodies) for the development of novel drug formats under a multiyear strategic collaboration with Enzon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. The Company has attracted both, top-tier life-science investors and corporate partners such as MedImmune, Inc. and Enzon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. For further information, please visit the company’s web site at www.micromet.de.
About Arizeke Pulmonary delivery for pulmonary disease Arizeke, a private San Diego-based company, is a clinical development company with a unique capability to treat lung disease by inhalation. Arizeke’s proprietary TranZyte™ technology enables the active transport of large therapeutic molecules across the epithelium and into the interstitium of the lung, which is the principal site of many disease processes. Arizeke designs and produces fusions of two human proteins: one protein binds the polymeric immunoglobulin receptor (pIgR), facilitating transport, via transcytosis, of the entire fusion from the airway to the lung interstitial space; the second is a therapeutic protein of choice. Indications being targeted by Arizeke afflict large populations and are poorly treated today. The Company has attracted top-tier life science investors.
Page 2 of 2 Micromet AG, Staffelseestr. 2, 81477 Munich, Germany, www.micromet.de