PDS & Farmacore Announce Co-Development-PDS0204

RNS Number : 2972Q

NetScientific PLC

18 June 2020

 

NetScientific plc

("NetScientific" or the "Company")

PDS Biotechnology and Farmacore Biotechnology Announce Co-Development of PDS0204 COVID-19 Vaccine

NetScientific plc (AIM:NSCI), the transatlantic healthcare IP commercialisation group, announces that its portfolio company PDS Biotechnology Corporation ("PDS") (Nasdaq: PDSB) today announced a co-development agreement with Farmacore Biotechnology for Versamune®-CoV-2FC, a Versamune®-based vaccine aimed at preventing COVID-19 infection.

Under the collaboration, PDS Biotech and Farmacore will accelerate development of Versamune®-CoV-2FC into Phase 1 clinical testing in Brazil, with initial financial support provided by the Brazilian Ministry of Science, Technology, Innovation and Communication (MCTIC). Versamune®-CoV-2FC combines a Farmacore-developed recombinant SARS-CoV-2 protein with PDS Biotech's Versamune® platform nanotechnology. The rapid advancement of this joint COVID-19 program expands upon a previously announced research and development collaboration between PDS Biotech and Farmacore to develop a Versamune®-based vaccine for tuberculosis.

  NetScientific holds 7.18% of PDS' undiluted share capital.

Dr. Ilian Iliev, Chief Executive Office of the Company said: "We are delighted with the solid progress made by PDS Biotechnology since the investment anchored by NetScientific earlier this year, and that it is contributing to the global efforts towards the COVID-19 pandemic. Illustrating the power of the company's Versamune platform technology, PDS Biotechnology's co-development programme for the COVID-19 vaccine comes alongside the recently announced start of the PDS0101 Phase 2 trials for HPV-associated cancers."

The full details of the announcement are set out below and can be found he re:  https://www.pdsbiotech.com/investors/news-center/press-releases/press-releases1/56-2020-news/399-iotechnologyandarmacoreiotechnologynnounceo20200617

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Brazilian government to provide initial funding support to progress development of Versamune®-based vaccine to prevent COVID-19 infection

FLORHAM PARK, N.J., June 17, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PDS Biotechnology Corporation (Nasdaq: PDSB), a clinical-stage immunotherapy company developing novel cancer therapies and infectious disease vaccines based on the Company's proprietary Versamune® T-cell activating technology, today announced a co-development agreement with Farmacore Biotechnology for Versamune®-CoV-2FC, a Versamune®-based vaccine aimed at preventing COVID-19 infection.

Under the collaboration, PDS Biotech and Farmacore will accelerate development of Versamune®-CoV-2FC into Phase 1 clinical testing in Brazil, with initial financial support provided by the Brazilian Ministry of Science, Technology, Innovation and Communication (MCTIC). Versamune®-CoV-2FC combines a Farmacore-developed recombinant SARS-CoV-2 protein with PDS Biotech's Versamune® platform nanotechnology. The rapid advancement of this joint COVID-19 program expands upon a previously announced research and development collaboration between PDS Biotech and Farmacore to develop a Versamune®-based vaccine for tuberculosis.

"We are excited to expand our ongoing collaboration with Farmacore, which provides an opportunity to rapidly accelerate development of a novel COVID-19 vaccine into Phase 1 clinical testing in Brazil," said Dr. Frank Bedu-Addo, Chief Executive Officer, PDS Biotech. "We believe that pairing PDS Biotech's Versamune® T-cell activating vaccine technology with Farmacore's recombinant SARS-CoV-2 protein will allow us to quickly assess the efficacy of Versamune®-CoV-2FC to potentially reduce the continuing spread of COVID-19 infections."

"This is a global pandemic, which requires a global effort. In joining forces with our partner PDS Biotech, we believe we can substantially accelerate our development efforts to bring an effective COVID-19 vaccine, inducing a broader range of long-term protective immune responses, to people around the world," said Helena Faccioli, Executive Director of Farmacore.

The companies plan to utilize multiple research and development sites in the United States and Brazil to progress preclinical and clinical development of Versamune®-CoV-2FC. Under the terms of the agreement, Farmacore retains commercialization rights in Latin America, and revenues from Latin America sales will be shared between the two companies. PDS Biotech retains the right of first refusal for commercialization outside of Latin America. PDS Biotech is in discussions with other governmental and non-governmental agencies regarding additional funding for a COVID-19 vaccine.

About PDS Biotechnology

PDS Biotech is a clinical-stage immunotherapy company with a growing pipeline of cancer immunotherapies and infectious disease vaccines based on the Company's proprietary Versamune® T-cell activating technology platform. Versamune® effectively delivers disease-specific antigens for in vivo uptake and processing, while also activating the critical type 1 interferon immunological pathway, resulting in production of potent disease-specific killer T-cells as well as neutralizing antibodies. PDS Biotech has engineered multiple therapies, based on combinations of Versamune® and disease-specific antigens, designed to train the immune system to better recognize disease cells and effectively attack and destroy them. To learn more, please visit www.pdsbiotech.com or follow us on Twitter at @PDSBiotech.

About Farmacore

Farmacore is a biotechnology company, founded in 2005 as a startup, focusing on R&D of innovative immunobiological products for use in the human and veterinary health sectors. It is a technology-based company that conducts research and development of biotechnological products and processes for the human and veterinary sectors. It develops innovative biotechnological and immunobiological products and adds value to them in all stages of development, from project design to biomolecule production www.farmacore.com.br.

About Versamune®-CoV-2FC

Versamune®-CoV-2FC (PDS0204) is a COVID-19 vaccine candidate that combines the immune-activating Versamune® platform with a Farmacore-developed recombinant fusion protein of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) recognizable by our immune system (antigen). The vaccine's target profile is to provide rapid induction of neutralizing antibodies, as well as killer T-cells and memory T-cells against the SARS-CoV-2 virus, in patients vaccinated with PDS0204 to protect against COVID-19 and to prevent spread of the infection.

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The information contained within this announcement is deemed by the Company to constitute inside information as stipulated under the Market Abuse Regulations (EU) No. 596/2014. Following the publication of this announcement, this inside information is now considered to be in the public domain.

For more information, please contact:

NetScientific 

Ilian Iliev, CEO  Tel: [phone]

WH Ireland (NOMAD, Financial Adviser and Broker)

Chris Fielding / Darshan Patel  Tel: [phone]

MO PR ADVISORY (Press Contact)

Mo Noonan  Tel: [phone]

About NetScientific

NetScientific PLC is a transatlantic healthcare IP commercialisation Group focused on technologies and companies that have the potential to treat chronic disease and significantly improve the health and well-being of people.

For more information, please visit the website at    www.NetScientific.net

 

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