PARIS and BOSTON, Jan. 21, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Neovacs (Alternext Paris:ALNEV) a leader in active immunotherapies for the treatment of autoimmune diseases, today signed a partnering agreement with the American company Stellar Biotechnologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: SBOT ) (TSX VENTURE:KLH). This joint venture will operate under the name of Neostell SAS, and it will be owned 30% by Stellar and 70% by Neovacs.
Stellar Biotechnologies is a leading manufacturer of Keyhole Limpet Hemocyanin (KLH), a carrier protein largely utilized in the production of conjugated vaccines for its immune stimulating properties. Stellar has been the supplier of KLH to Neovacs for many years. This carrier protein is a strategic component in the production of IFNα-Kinoid. Neovacs’ and Stellar’s current collaboration will be strengthened through this project, which is strategic for both partners.
The objective of the newly formed Neostell SAS is to produce:
- All the Kinoids of Neovacs, particularly IFNα-Kinoid.
- All conjugated therapeutic vaccines on behalf of third parties.
As announced in January 2016 1 , the investment in this production will begin after receiving positive results of the phase IIb study with IFNα-Kinoid in Lupus, which is currently under way. This new site will be close to Paris, France, and is expected to hire between 50 and 100 high-qualified employees by midterm.
“ We are very proud to have Stellar Biotechnologies as our partner in this project, as the company is the only worldwide supplier of KLH protein based on aquaculture,” said Miguel Sieler, the CEO of Neovacs . “ This protein is a strategic component for the production of IFNα - Kinoid, and Stellar’s expertise in production of conjugated vaccines brings an added value to our know-how in this field .”
According to Frank Oaks, CEO of Stellar Biotechnologies: “We are very confident about the positive development of this project. Our mutual expertise will be useful to manufacture the Kinoid vaccine and will allow us to position ourselves successfully in the market of conjugated therapeutic vaccines, which will most likely have a strong growth in the future based on the many ongoing clinical trials. ”
1 Press Release published on January 6th 2016: Neovacs secures €5 million, from the public funding program “Investments for the future” to support clinical and industrial development for the therapeutic vaccine IFNα-kinoid
About Stellar Biotechnologies, Inc. is a leader in sustainable manufacture of Keyhole Limpet Hemocyanin (KLH), an important immune-stimulating protein used in wide-ranging therapeutic and diagnostic markets. KLH is both an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) in many new immunotherapies (targeting cancer, immune disorders, Alzheimer’s, and inflammatory diseases) as well as a finished product for measuring immune status. Stellar Biotechnologies is unique in its proprietary methods, facilities, and KLH technology. It is committed to meeting the growing demand for commercial-scale supplies of GMP grade KLH, ensuring environmentally sound KLH production, and developing KLH-based active immunotherapies. www.stellarbiotech.com
About Neovacs Created in 1993, Neovacs is today a leading biotechnology company focused on an active immunotherapy technology platform (Kinoids) with applications in autoimmune and/or inflammatory diseases. On the basis of the company’s proprietary technology for inducing a polyclonal immune response (covered by five patent families that potentially run until 2032) Neovacs is focusing its clinical development efforts on IFNα-Kinoid, an immunotherapy being developed for the indication of lupus and dermatomyositis. Neovacs is also conducting preclinical development works on other therapeutic vaccines in the fields of auto-immune diseases, oncology and allergies. The goal of the Kinoid approach is to enable patients to have access to safe treatments with efficacy that is sustained in these life-long diseases. www.neovacs.fr
Contacts NEOVACS – Corporate Communication & Investor Relations Charlène Masson +33 (0)1 53 10 93 14 cmasson@neovacs.com
Investor Relations / Financial Communications – NewCap Valentine Brouchot / Pierre Laurent +33 (0)1 44 71 94 94 neovacs@newcap.eu
Investor Relations / Financial Communications Germany – MC Services Raimund Gabriel +49-89-21-02-28-30 raimund.gabriel@mc-services.eu
Press / U.S. Inquiries – The Ruth Group Lee Roth / Joseph Green +1-646-536-7012 / 7013 lroth@theruthgroup.com / jgreen@theruthgroup.com
Mark A. McPartland Vice President of Corporate Development and Communications Phone: +1 (805) 488-2800 ext. 103 markmcp@stellarbiotech.com www.stellarbiotech.com
