EUSA Pharma Acquires Global Rights to Neuroblastoma Treatment Isqette® (Dinutuximab Beta) from Apeiron Biologics

HEMEL HEMPSTEAD, England and VIENNA, October 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

EUSA Pharma (EUSA), a specialty pharmaceutical company with a focus on oncology and oncology supportive care, today announced the acquisition of exclusive global commercialization rights to the oncology product Isqette (dinutuximab beta) from Apeiron Biologics. Dinutuximab beta is currently used as part of the regimen for the treatment of high risk neuroblastoma in Europe and is available under a managed access program. The immunotherapy has orphan drug designation in the US and EU and is currently under review for marketing authorization by the EMA. EUSA expects to file the product for registration in the US and Japan in 2017.

Under the terms of the agreement, EUSA Pharma will pay Apeiron an upfront fee, with a portion contingent on EU approval.  EUSA will also pay regulatory milestone payments in other key territories and royalties on future product sales.

Neuroblastoma is an orphan oncology indication with significant unmet medical needs.  It accounts for up to 10% of childhood tumors and affects approximately 1,200 children in the EU5 and US each year.  Consequently, EUSA Pharma intends to continue dinutuximab beta's managed access program, and once approved in Europe will promote the immunotherapy to oncologists through its specialty sales team.  In the United States, the company plans to submit a regulatory filing in 2017, and once approved will commercialize the product directly through its established US infrastructure. In other territories, including Japan, EUSA plans to bring the product to market through its international network of partners.  

"We are delighted to acquire the global rights to Isqette, which is a perfect fit with our strategic focus in the specialty oncology field and will allow us to leverage our commercial infrastructure in the EU and expand our presence in the US," said Lee Morley, EUSA Pharma's Chief Executive Officer.   "Dinutuximab beta is already used extensively across Europe, where it is included in a number of treatment protocols, and we look forward to bringing this life saving therapy to patients around the world.   As a rapidly growing specialty pharma company we have made great progress since our launch 18 months ago, and we plan to continue this through further product acquisition and in-licensing." 

"EUSA Pharma is the ideal partner to bring dinutuximab beta to market, with its strong focus on oncology and specialty commercial expertise in Europe, the US and further afield," said Dr. Hans Loibner, Apeiron Biologic's Chief Executive Officer. "Dinutuximab beta is an important treatment in an area of significant unmet need, which we have developed together with our academic partners, in particular with the cooperative group SIOPEN, and we look forward to working with EUSA to make this product available around the world." 

About EUSA Pharma 

Founded in March 2015, EUSA Pharma is a specialty pharmaceutical company with commercial operations in the US and Europe, and a wider distribution network in approximately 40 further countries.  Currently, EUSA has a broad portfolio of approved and named-patient specialty hospital products, which the company has ambitious plans to expand through acquisition and in-licensing.  EUSA is led by an experienced management team with a strong record of building successful specialty pharmaceutical companies, and is supported by significant funding raised from leading life science investor Essex Woodlands.  

EUSA Pharma's products include: Caphosol® for the treatment of oral mucositis, a common and debilitating side-effect of radiation therapy and high-dose chemotherapy; Collatamp®, a gentamicin-collagen implant licensed either in hemostasis or for the prevention and treatment of surgical site infection; Custodiol® solution for use in the preservation of organs for transplantation; Fomepizole® for the treatment of ethylene glycol poisoning; and Xenazine® for the treatment of movement disorders associated with Huntington's chorea.  EUSA also has exclusive European, Latin American, North and South African and selected Middle East and Asian rights to tivozanib, which is currently under review by EMA for the treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma.  For more information visit http://www.eusapharma.com.

About APEIRON Biologics AG  

Apeiron is a private biotech company based in Vienna, Austria, developing immunological therapies against cancer. Its most advanced project, APN311 (ch14.18/CHO, Isqette®), now licensed to EUSA Pharma, is a chimeric monoclonal antibody against the GD2 antigen expressed on neuroblastoma and other tumors. In addition to APN311, Apeiron's project portfolio consists of three immune-oncology projects, two of them in clinical stage.  A broad program is pursued to develop therapies to selectively boost the immune system via unique and novel checkpoint blockade mechanisms to fight cancer. For more information visit http://www.apeiron-biologics.com.

Contacts
Lee Morley
Chief Executive
EUSA Pharma
Tel: +44-(0)330-5001140

Rob Budge
RJB Communications
Tel: +44-(0)1865-760969
Mobile: +44-(0)7710-741241

SOURCE EUSA Pharma