Laureate to Manufacture Cytheris' Lead Product Candidate, INTERLEUKIN-7,
currently in clinical trials for treatment of HIV, HCV and cancer
PRINCETON, N.J. and PARIS, March 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Laureate
Pharma, Inc., a full-service biopharmaceutical development and protein
production company, announced today that it has entered into a cGMP
contract manufacturing agreement with Cytheris SA, a clinical stage
biopharmaceutical company focused on research and development of new
therapies for immune modulation. According to the agreement, Laureate will
manufacture Cytheris' lead product candidate, Interleukin-7 (IL-7), a fully
glycosylated recombinant human protein and critical growth factor for
immune T-cell recovery, for use in ongoing international clinical trials
currently being conducted for treatment of HIV, HCV and cancer. Terms and
conditions of the agreement were not disclosed.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080131/NETH020LOGO )
Recombinant human Interleukin-7 (r-hIL-7) is a critical growth factor
for immune T-cell recovery and enhancement. Clinical investigations
conducted on more than 75 patients in Europe, the U.S. and Canada have
suggested the potential of r-hIL-7 to expand and protect CD4+ and CD8+
T-cells.
"We are delighted that Cytheris has selected us again as their CMO, to
manufacture IL-7 in support of their expanded clinical trial program. This
is a testimonial to our successful partnership with our clients and our
effort to achieve their total satisfaction in our ability to meet their
manufacturing needs," said Robert J. Broeze, Ph.D., President & CEO of
Laureate. "We will work with the Cytheris team very closely and help them
realize the greatest potential of their IL-7 development and production
program."
"As we move towards large scale production of our IL-7 biotherapeutic,
we are pleased to continue our strong working relationship with Laureate
Pharma," said Michel Morre, DVM, President and CEO of Cytheris. "With
Laureate's demonstrated skill in successful transfer of process technology,
we look forward to continuing to work together in the process scale-up,
engineering and clinical material production of IL-7 for our ongoing
clinical trials investigating multiple indications."
About Laureate Pharma, Inc.
Laureate Pharma is a full-service biopharmaceutical development and
protein production company located in Princeton, New Jersey. Laureate
Pharma offers superior bioprocessing services that accelerate new products
from development through production. Laureate provides a wide range of
specialized services from process design and development to full-scale cGMP
production, purification, aseptic filling, testing, validation, analytical
services, and regulatory support. Laureate is focused on two active
segments of the biopharmaceutical industry: monoclonal antibodies and
recombinant protein products. Laureate Pharma, Inc. is a wholly owned
subsidiary of Safeguard Scientifics, Inc. (NYSE: SFE)
(http://www.safeguard.com). For more information, contact Michael
Cavanaugh, Vice President Sales, Marketing, and Business Development at
(609) 919-3400, or info@laureatepharma.com or visit
http://www.laureatepharma.com.
About Cytheris SA
Cytheris SA is a privately held clinical-stage biopharmaceutical
company focused on research and development of new therapies for immune
modulation. These drugs aim at reconstituting and enhancing the immune
systems of patients suffering from cancer, chronic viral or bacterial
infections such as HIV and HCV, or lympho-depleting treatments such as
chemotherapy, radiotherapy, bone marrow transplantation (BMT) and
hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). The company operates from its
headquarters and laboratories in Issy-les- Moulineaux, a suburb of Paris,
and its U.S. subsidiary in Rockville, Maryland. For more information,
please contact Andrew Lloyd, Andrew Lloyd & Associates: (allo@ala.com),
Gilles Petitot (gilles@ala.com) at +33 1 5654 0700 or visit
http://www.cytheris.com.
SOURCE Laureate Pharma, Inc.
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Related links:
http://www.laureatepharma.com
http://www.safeguard.com http://www.cytheris.com
Photo Notes:
NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080131/NETH020LOGO
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
CONTACT:
Michael Cavanaugh, Vice President Sales,
Marketing, and Business Development for Laureate Pharma, Inc.,
+1-609-919-3400, info@laureatepharma.com; or Andrew Lloyd of
Andrew Lloyd & Associates for Cytheris SA, allo@ala.com; or
Gilles Petitot for Cytheris SA, +33-1-5654-0700, gilles@ala.com
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