I-Mab Biopharma and Jiangsu Nhwa Pharmaceutical Announce Strategic Collaboration Agreement with Biodextris and a Boston-Based, Leading Academic Medical Center

BOSTON, April 7, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- I-Mab Biopharma (I-Mab), a clinical stage biotech company based in Shanghai with an exclusive focus on the development of potential first-in-class and best-in-class biologics in immuno-oncology and autoimmune diseases, and Jiangsu Nhwa Pharmaceutical (Nhwa), a company devoted to central nervous system (CNS) drug development, manufacturing and service, announce on April 5th , 2019 that they have entered into collaborative research agreement with world-renowned scientists and clinicians at the Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Biodextris, a Montreal-based biologics contract development and manufacturing organization, to jointly develop a novel immuno-stimulatory therapy for neurologic disorders by harnessing the natural power of the immune system.

Under the terms of the agreement, parties will combine their resources and expertise in basic science, translational research, clinical development, manufacturing and commercialization, to accelerate the translation of innovative immunotherapy into the clinic for the most challenging diseases with the highest unmet medical needs.

The Brigham team will be responsible for preclinical development including biomarker discovery and validation, as well as early clinical studies. Biodextris will be responsible for CMC development and manufacturing of clinical materials. I-Mab and Nhwa will provide financial, technical, regulatory, and business support for the preclinical as well as clinical development, and potentially future commercialization.

"The development of a nasal immune modulator that has been used in vaccines is a unique approach to treating certain neurologic disease and has the potential to have a major impact on the disease worldwide. We are very excited about this collaboration and the potential to achieve this goal," said Howard L Weiner, co-Director of the Ann Romney Center at the Brigham and Robert L. Kroc Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School.

"We have worked on the development of nasal adjuvants and innate immune applications for many years, and are now very pleased to participate in this collaborative effort toward the application of this technology in neurological diseases," said Joseph Zimmermann, CEO of Biodextris.

"The Brigham is recognized internationally for its excellence and innovation in patient care, biomedical research, and education. I-Mab shares the same aspiration and strives to bring innovative treatments to patients around the world. We believe that this type of partnership between the industry and a leading academic institute will accelerate not only drug development but also scientific advancement. We're very pleased to be part of this international collaboration," said Dr. Zheru Zhang, President of I-Mab.

"NHWA is a company that fully focuses on CNS drug development, manufacturing, and marketing. The Brigham is well-recognized for developing new treatments and cures in the field of neurologic diseases, while Biodextris has pioneered the immune adjuvant technology and I-Mab has made great strikes in developing innovative biologics with remarkable results in recent years," stated Mr. Sun Pengsheng, President of NHWA. "It is an honor for NHWA to have the opportunity of working with these great partners to develop an innovative therapy. We wish all the best of luck for a fruitful collaboration!"

About I-Mab

I-Mab is a dynamic and fast-growing global company exclusively focused on developing potential first-in-class and best-in-class biologics in the areas of immuno-oncology and autoimmune diseases through internal R&D capabilities and global partnerships. I-Mab's pipeline is driven by the company's development strategy to address unmet needs in China and to bring innovative medicines to the world. The company is on track to initiate multiple clinical trials in China and the U.S., while conducting several Phase II and Phase III clinical studies. I-Mab strives to become an end-to-end fully-integrated biopharma company. The company has been well-recognized by capital markets with the recent $220 million Series C financing representing one of the largest amounts ever raised by an innovative biotech company in China. For more information visit www.i-mabbiopharma.com.

About Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases

The Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases at Brigham and Women's Hospital is a collaborative global pursuit to accelerate treatments, prevention, and cures for five of the world's most complex neurologic diseases: multiple sclerosis (MS), Alzheimer's disease, ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease), Parkinson's disease, and brain tumors. Comprised of a group of multidisciplinary biomedical research laboratories, the Center, which is co-directed by Dennis Selkoe, MD, and Howard L. Weiner, MD, has a central objective in the application of a wide range of current biological methods to the elucidation of the pathogenesis and treatment of these five chronic, unsolved neurological diseases.

About Jiangsu Nhwa Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.

Founded in 1978, based in Jiangsu province in China and listed on the Shenzhen stock exchange (stock code 002262), Nhwa is the only pharmaceutical company in China that is fully focused on the market segments of CNS drug products. The main product lines include anesthesiology, psychiatry and neurology. Through years of unrelenting efforts in product development, production and service, the company has established a complete series of CNS drug products and marketing network and played an important role in the manufacture and sales of CNS drugs in China. For more information visit http://en.nhwa-group.com/.

About Biodextris

Biodextris is comprised of experienced product development scientists located in Laval (Montreal), Quebec who have worked together since 2002, as part of large multinational organizations. Biodextris works in all phases of clinical development for programs conducted in the US, Canada and Europe and combines the know-how for high quality, robust, product development with flexibility and the sense of urgency inherent in smaller organizations. For more information visit http://biodextris.com/.

I-Mab Contacts:

Company Contact:  
Weimin Tang  
Executive Vice President of Global Business Development  
[email protected]       

Investor Contact:
Jielun Zhu
CFO
[email protected]

Media Contact:
Amanda Dai   
Associate Director of Public Relations
[email protected]

Nhwa Contact: 

Yu Jiang 
Vice President of NHWA Institute of Pharmaceutical Research 
[email protected]

Brigham and Women's Hospital Contact:

Mark Murphy
Manager, Media Relations
617-732-9551
[email protected]

Biodextris Contact:

Joseph Zimmermann 
President and CEO 
[email protected]

SOURCE I-Mab Biopharma

Related Links

http://www.i-mabbiopharma.com