Tillotts Pharma and Numab Announce Exclusive Development and Licensing Agreement for TNF-Alpha Blockers as Drug Candidates for Inflammatory Bowel Disease

RHEINFELDEN, Switzerland, June 9, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --

• Agreement will focus on development of next-generation tumor necrosis factor (TNF) blockers to generate drug candidates for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)  
• Novel antibody-based therapies that block TNF-alpha will enhance Tillotts' R&D portfolio of drugs for diseases of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract  
• Strategic collaboration demonstrates Tillotts' long-term commitment to partnering with innovative companies to improve disease management for people with GI diseases  

Tillotts Pharma AG ("Tillotts") and Numab AG announced today that they have entered into an exclusive global licensing agreement to develop and commercialize new antibody-based therapies that act against tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) for people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The partnership demonstrates Tillotts' commitment to developing new treatments to improve care for patients with IBD and, upon successful development, will add to a strong track record in the registration and marketing of IBD treatments globally.

TNF-α is a cell signaling protein involved in the body's immune system. When overproduced, it is associated with IBD, a group of conditions consisting of ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease that affects up to five million people worldwide^[1]. Anti-TNF therapy has been shown to reduce hospitalizations and surgeries, and improve quality of life^[2]. Under the terms of the agreement, Tillotts will develop and commercialize new formulations of anti-TNF- antibody fragments identified by Numab. Numab is eligible to a signing fee and, upon successful development, will receive down- and milestone payments, as well as royalties up to double-digits. After successful pre-clinical trials, and prior to submission of an investigational new drug (IND) application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Tillotts will be seeking a co-development and marketing partner for the U.S. market with a strong interest in working with Tillotts to further develop antibody-based therapies that block TNF-α.

"Our agreement with Numab underlines our focus on innovation and commitment to developing cutting-edge therapies for the millions of patients suffering from gastrointestinal diseases," said Thomas A. Tóth von Kiskér, CEO at Tillotts. "Moreover, it supports our strategy to build a strong and balanced GI portfolio and R&D pipeline by combining our proven expertise in developing and marketing IBD treatments with Numab's breakthrough technology."

"This collaboration is a further example of how Numab's stable antibody fragments can be combined with drug delivery technology to create novel routes of application for antibody therapies," said Oliver Middendorp, co-CEO and founder of Numab. "We believe that Tillotts, with their commitment to innovation and strong expertise in GI diseases, is an ideal partner for this undertaking, which has the potential to result in best-in-class treatments for people with IBD worldwide."

About Tillotts  

Tillotts Pharma AG, part of the Zeria Group, is a fast-growing specialty pharma company with 200 employees in Switzerland and abroad. Tillotts is dedicated to the development, in/out-licensing and commercialization of innovative pharmaceutical products, medical devices and diagnostics, all in the field of gastroenterology. Please visit our website http://www.tillotts.com.

Tillotts successfully markets its own products Asacol^® and Colpermin^® as well as in-licensed products, such as Simtomax^®, in over 55 countries through its own affiliates within Europe and a carefully chosen network of gastroenterology-focused marketing partners throughout the world.

About Numab  

Founded in 2011, Numab discovers and develops innovative antibody-based therapeutics. Applying proprietary rabbit-based antibody discovery and engineering technology, Numab generates highly potent and stable antibody-based molecules that serve as building blocks to create multi-specific antibody-based therapeutics with tailored pharmacokinetic properties. Numab's therapeutic antibodies are designed to improve on existing therapies in terms of effect size, effect duration and safety. For further information, visit http://www.numab.com.

About Zeria  

Zeria Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., founded in 1955, based in Tokyo, Japan, focuses on R&D, manufacturing and sales of prescription drugs as well as OTC products. The company is listed on the First Section of Tokyo Stock Exchange (Stock code: 4559). Zeria holds a leading position within the gastroenterology field in Japan and operates internationally through a number of subsidiaries. For more information about Zeria please visit http://www.zeria.co.jp.

All trademarks used or mentioned in this release are protected by law. Tillotts' trademarks include Asacol^®, Octasa^®, Fivasa^®, Lixacol^®, Asacolon^®, Colpermin^®, and are either registered or applied for in up to 70 countries. Asacol^® is a registered trademark by Actavis in the United States of America, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Asacol^® is a registered trademark in Italy by Giuliani and in Switzerland by Sanofi. Colpermin^® is a registered trademark by Johnson & Johnson for the United Kingdom and Ireland.

References  

1. World IBD Day. About Us. http://www.worldibdday.org/aboutus.html. Accessed April, 2015.

2. Peyrin-Biroulet L. Anti-TNF therapy in inflammatory bowel diseases: a huge review. Minerva Gastroenterol Dietol. 2010 Jun;56(2):233-43.

For more information, contact:
Tillotts Pharma
Federica Ricatto, Senior Communications Manager
Phone: +41-61-935-2749
Email: FRicatto@tillotts.com  

Numab
Oliver Middendorp, CBO & co-CEO
Email: o.middendorp@numab.com