Co-development partner announces licensing deals

RNS Number : 7506I

Ergomed plc

02 September 2016

 

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Ergomed's co-development partner Aeterna Zentaris, Inc. announces an additional two licensing deals for Zoptrex™

London, UK - 2 September 2016: Ergomed plc (LSE: ERGO) ('Ergomed' or 'the Company'), a profitable UK-based group dedicated to the provision of specialised services to the pharmaceutical industry and the development of new drugs, announces that its co-development partner, Aeterna Zentaris, Inc. (NASDAQ:AEZS, TSX:AEZ), has announced two further licensing deals for Zoptrex™.

On 1 July 2016, Aeterna Zentaris signed an exclusive license agreement with affiliates of Orient EuroPharma Co., Ltd for its lead anti-cancer compound, Zoptrex™, for the initial indication of endometrial cancer for Taiwan and nine countries in Southeast Asia.  On 31 July 2016, Aeterna Zentaris signed a second exclusive license agreement with Rafa Laboratories, Ltd for Israel and the Palestine Territories. These follow on from the 2014 exclusive license agreement with Sinopharm A-Think Pharmaceuticals Co Ltd. In line with the Company's co-development agreement with Aeterna Zentaris, Ergomed will receive a portion of all revenues generated from the commercialization of the product.

Zoptrex™, a novel synthetic peptide carrier linked to doxorubicin, is currently in a fully-enrolled Phase 3 clinical trial in endometrial cancer.  As the rate of death in the trial is lower than expected, Aeterna Zentaris now expects to complete the Phase 3 clinical trial by the end of the year with results following early in 2017, and, if the results of the trial warrant doing so, to file a new drug application for Zoptrex™ in the first half of 2017.

Dr. Miroslav Reljanovic, Chief Executive Officer of Ergomed, said: 

"We are delighted that our partner, Aeterna Zentaris has now licensed Zoptrex™ in the important markets of China, Israel, Taiwan and Southeast Asia. In line with our strategy at IPO, these deals mark an important milestone in our co-development partnership with Aeterna Zentaris and demonstrate the value of our hybrid business model."

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Enquiries:

Ergomed plc	Tel: [phone]
Miroslav Reljanovic (Chief  Executive Officer)
Stephen Stamp (Chief Financial Officer)
Numis Securities Limited	Tel: [phone]
Michael Meade / Freddie Barnfield (Nominated Adviser)
James Black (Joint Broker)
Stifel Nicolaus Europe Limited	Tel: [phone]
Jonathan Senior (Joint Broker)
FTI Consulting - for UK enquiries	Tel: [phone]
Simon Conway / Mo Noonan / Natalie Garland-Collins
MC-Services - for Continental European enquiries	Tel: [phone]
Anne Hennecke

About Ergomed

Ergomed plc is a profitable UK-based business providing drug development services to the pharmaceutical industry and has a growing portfolio of co-development partnerships. It operates in over 50 countries.

Ergomed provides clinical development, trial management and pharmacovigilance services to over 100 clients ranging from top 10 pharmaceutical companies to small and mid-sized drug development companies. Ergomed successfully manages clinical development from Phase I through to late phase programmes.

Ergomed has a wide therapeutic focus, with a particular expertise in oncology, neurology and immunology and the development of orphan drugs. Ergomed believes its approach to clinical trials is differentiated from that of other providers by its innovative Study Site Management model and the use of Study Physician Teams, resulting in a close relationship between Ergomed and the physicians involved in clinical trials.

As well as providing high quality clinical development services, Ergomed is building a portfolio of co-development partnerships with pharma and biotech companies which share the risks and rewards of drug development. Ergomed leverages its expertise and services in return for carried interest in the drugs under development. Lastly, Ergomed recently acquired a pipeline of proprietary development products for haemostasis in surgical settings. For further information, visit: http://ergomedplc.com.

 

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