19 Feb 2015 07:00
19 February 2015
Imperial Innovations Group plc
Cell Medica announces start of commercial cell therapy manufacture
Imperial Innovations Group plc (AIM: IVO, "Innovations", "the Group") is pleased to note that its portfolio company Cell Medica ("the Company") has today announced the start of commercial cell therapy manufacturing at its facility at the Max-Delbrück-Center of Molecular Medicine in Berlin-Buch (Germany). The first product has been successfully manufactured and delivered for use in the patient.
Manufacturing at this site will initially be focused on Cytovir™ CMV for the treatment of patients with cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections following a hematopoietic stem cell (bone marrow) transplant.
Cytovir™ CMV is an individualised immune cell therapy that is comprised of naturally-occurring donor cytotoxic T cells which are transferred from a donor into an immunosuppressed patient, in order to reconstitute their immunity to Cytomegalovirus (CMV). The product is currently available to treat patients in the UK, Ireland and Germany.
Maina Bhaman, Director of Healthcare Investments at Innovations, said:
"The Cytovir™ CMV cell therapy is individually manufactured for each patient so the start of commercial manufacture at this facility is a significant landmark in Cell Medica's development. The facility has been designed specifically to provide high-volume, cost efficient production of GMP-compliant patient-specific cell therapies for distribution across Europe.
"Cell Medica is one of the very first companies of its type to have taken a product from early development into commercial sales with an industrial-scale manufacturing system, which underlines Cell Medica's position as one of the leaders in this new field of cell therapy.
"Cell Medica will now be able to leverage this manufacturing capability across a broad range of T-cell immunotherapy products, including both infectious disease and its exciting oncology programme."
On 25 November, Innovations led a £50m series B funding round in Cell Medica alongside co-investors Invesco Asset Management and Woodford Investment Management. Innovations committed £15m to the round and holds a 27.9% stake in the issued share capital of the Company.
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Notes to editors
About Imperial Innovations - www.imperialinnovations.co.uk
Imperial Innovations Group plc creates, builds and invests in pioneering technologies developed from the academic research within the 'Golden Triangle' broadly bounded by London, Cambridge and Oxford, which is home to the UK's four leading research-intensive universities.
This area is home to many new technology companies through its proximity to the academic communities of Imperial College London, the University of Cambridge, the University of Oxford and University College London, as well as other leading research institutions.
Imperial College London, the University of Cambridge, the University of Oxford and University College London collectively have research income of £1.4 billion per annum and are ranked as four of the top ten Universities in the world (source: QS World University Rankings 2014/15).
Innovations supports scientists and entrepreneurs in the commercialisation of their ideas through the licensing of intellectual property, by leading the formation of new companies, providing facilities in the early stages, providing investment and encouraging co-investment to accelerate development, providing operational expertise and recruiting high-calibre management teams. It also runs an incubator in London that is the initial home for many of its technology spin-outs.
Since admission of its shares to trading on AIM in 2006, Innovations has raised more than £346.0 million of equity from investors, which has enabled it to invest in some of the most exciting spin-outs to come out of UK academic research. In addition, the Group has a £30.0 million loan facility from the European Investment Bank (EIB) for investment in biotech and therapeutics businesses.
During the period from admission on AIM up until 31 July 2014, Innovations has invested a total of £176.0 million across its portfolio companies, which have raised collectively investment of £822.5 million.
About Cell Medica
Cell Medica is a leading cellular immunotherapy company, focused on the development, manufacturing and marketing of cell-based therapeutics for the treatment of cancers related to oncogenic viruses and infections following hematopoietic stem cell transplantations. In addition to Cytovir™ CMV, the Company is also developing Cytovir™ ADV for the treatment of adenovirus infections in pediatric patients following hematopoietic stem cell (bone marrow) transplantations. Cell Medica is also working with the Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, to develop cellular therapeutics for the treatment of malignancies associated with the oncogenic Epstein Barr Virus.
About Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
CMV is a member of the herpes virus family that is carried by up to 65% of the UK population as a latent virus. In people with a healthy immune system, the virus remains in the body without causing any infectious symptoms. In a patient whose immune system has been profoundly suppressed following a bone marrow transplant, CMV will often reactivate and can cause significant morbidity and mortality. Before the launch of Cytovir CMV, anti-viral drugs were the only available treatment option, however these are associated with complications and side effects, which limit overall effectiveness.
About Cytovir CMV
Cytovir™ CMV is comprised of naturally occurring CMV-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte cells (T cells) that are directly selected from a seropositive donor. The safety and efficacy of Cytovir CMV has been investigated in two randomized clinical trials, ASPECT (NCT01220895) and IMPACT (NCT01077908). Cytovir™ CMV is commercially available in the UK, Ireland and Germany.