On June 7, 2005 Boehringer Ingelheim and Evotec OAI (Frankfurt Stock Exchange: EVT, TecDAX 30) reported on selected G-Protein Coupled Receptors (GPCRs) the first project milestone has been successfully achieved (Press release, Evotec, JUN 7, 2005 View Source;announcements/press-releases/p/evotec-oai-achieves-first-milestone-in-partnership-with-boehringer-ingelheim-4546 [SID1234538884]). Under the terms of the drug discovery collaboration, Evotec OAI AG has received a first research milestone payment from Boehringer Ingelheim. The payment was granted for the identification of a number of lead series for a priority target of this collaboration. Further projects within the multi-target collaboration are progressing on schedule. Evotec OAI is entitled to additional payments from Boehringer Ingelheim based on the achievement of further milestones. Further financial details of the payment were not disclosed.

Dr Mark Ashton, Executive Vice President Business Development Services at Evotec OAI, commented: "We are extremely proud that we have reached our first project milestone with Boehringer Ingelheim in such a short period of time. Over the past nine months we have built an excellent relationship and we are looking forward to a continued fruitful collaboration."

Professor Mikael Dolsten, Head of Corporate Division Pharma Research/Discovery, Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH, said: "We are very pleased with the progress achieved in the collaboration on GPCR targets, which constitute one of the most proven drug target classes in the medical area. Generation of novel leads against a disease relevant GPCR target was successfully achieved in a short time period. The basis for this first milestone achievement was both the excellent drug discovery performance and the good collaboration spirit between the Boehringer Ingelheim and Evotec scientists. We anticipate valuable results from this collaboration."

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Contacts:
Evotec OAI AG, Anne Hennecke, Investor Relations & Corporate Communications, 22525 Hamburg, Phone: +49 – 40 – 56081 286 / Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH, Ute Schmidt, Corporate Division Communications, 55216 Ingelheim, Phone: +49 – 6132 – 77 97296
Contacts:

Evotec OAI AG, Anne Hennecke, Investor Relations & Corporate Communications, 22525 Hamburg, Phone: +49 – 40 – 56081 286 / Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH, Ute Schmidt, Corporate Division Communications, 55216 Ingelheim, Phone: +49 – 6132 – 77 97296

On May 5, 2005 Cancer Research Technology Limited (CRT) is pleased to report the appointment of Dr Phil L’Huillier as Director of Business Management (Press release, Cancer Research Technology, MAY 10, 2005, View Source [SID1234523436]). Previously, Dr L’Huillier was Director of Global Licensing and Business Development at BioFocus Discovery, a UK listed drug discovery company. Prior to BioFocus, Phil headed ProBio Inc, a US specialty IP commercialisation company, involved in international licensing and partnering in the pharmaceutical, genomics and agbiotech sectors (now part of the Pharming Group NV).

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The post of Director of Business Management is a new position within CRT, demanded in part by CRT’s ambitious future plans. These include the expansion of CRT’s oncology focused development laboratory enabling CRT to take early-stage projects further downstream, and growing the development services within Europe as well as entry into the US. Dr Keith Blundy, CRT’s Chief Operating Officer stated: "We are delighted to welcome Phil to CRT. CRT’s Business Management Team and indeed the organisation as a whole will benefit greatly from Phil’s guidance and expertise."

On January 27, 2005 Danisco A/S (Copenhagen Stock Exchange) ("Danisco"), one of the world’s largest producers of food ingredients, and Genencor International, Inc. (Nasdaq: GCOR) ("Genencor"), a diversified biotechnology company that develops and delivers innovative products and services into the health care, agri-processing, industrial and consumer markets, jointly reported that they have signed a definitive agreement for Danisco to acquire all of the outstanding shares of common stock of Genencor, other than those held by Danisco, Eastman Chemical Company ("Eastman") or their respective subsidiaries, for $19.25 per share in cash (Filing, Genencor International, JAN 27, 2005, View Source [SID:SID1234515815]).

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In connection with the definitive agreement with Genencor, Danisco has entered into a definitive stock purchase agreement with Eastman under which Danisco will acquire all of the outstanding shares of common stock of Genencor held by Eastman for $15 per share in cash and all of the outstanding shares of preferred stock of Genencor held by Eastman for $44 million in cash. Danisco and Eastman currently each own approximately 42% of Genencor’s outstanding shares of common stock and 50% of Genencor’s outstanding shares of preferred stock.

"Being an advanced and recognised biotechnology company, Genencor will expand Danisco’s knowledge base significantly and broaden our access to an important new business area, industrial enzymes," said Alf Duch-Pedersen, Chief Executive Officer of Danisco.

"Our two companies know each other well and the synergy is obvious," said JJ Bienaimé, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Genencor. "Together, we will have the depth and the reach to achieve the vision we’ve had for our business."

The acquisition of the shares of Genencor’s common stock for $19.25 per share will be effected by means of a cash tender offer for all of the outstanding shares of common stock of Genencor, other than those held by Danisco and its subsidiaries, followed by a merger in which all Genencor stockholders, other than Danisco and its subsidiaries, who have not tendered their shares will receive the same per share price. The acquisition agreement is subject to certain conditions, including the tender of a majority of the outstanding shares of common stock of Genencor other than those held by Danisco, Eastman, the officers and directors of Genencor and its subsidiaries and the respective affiliates of each of the foregoing, receipt of regulatory approvals and other conditions. Subject to those conditions, Danisco and Genencor currently expect the acquisition to be completed by May 31, 2005.

A special committee comprised of independent directors of Genencor has reviewed the transaction on behalf of the Genencor stockholders unaffiliated with Danisco and Eastman. Upon the recommendation of the special committee, the board of directors of Genencor has approved the acquisition agreement and the transaction.

On January 10, 2005 Xenova Group plc (NASDAQ: XNVA; London Stock Exchange: XEN) reported that it has entered into a licensing agreement with Cancer Research Technology Limited (CRT) in respect of Xenova’s intellectual property relating to TA-CIN (Press release, Cancer Research Technology, JAN 10, 2005, View Source [SID1234523438]). TA-CIN is a vaccine developed by Xenova as a treatment for women with cervical dysplasia, and has proved safe and immunogenic in Phase I and Phase II clinical trials.

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CRT will facilitate a further Phase II clinical trial to be undertaken at St. Mary’s Hospital Manchester and associated laboratory studies at the Paterson Institute for Cancer Research in Manchester to evaluate TA-CIN in combination with an immune modulator in subjects with vulval intra-epithelial neoplasia (VIN). This trial, expected to start shortly, will recruit between 20 and 30 women with known, pre-treated, or newly diagnosed VIN3. The primary end point is objective response of vulval intraepithelial lesions to treatment as well as evaluating safety, toxicity and tolerability of the combination treatment.

CRT will license TA-CIN patents, know-how and materials from Xenova and will undertake marketing of TA-CIN to potential commercial partners with a view to sub-licensing the development and commercialisation of the product. Net receipts from the sub-licensing of TA-CIN will be shared between Xenova and CRT after certain direct costs have been recouped.

Cervical dysplasia (also known as cervical intra-epithelial neoplasia, CIN) is one of a group of conditions, including VIN, known collectively as ano-genital intraepithelial neoplasia (AGIN), which are precursors to invasive cancers such as cervical cancer. Infection with certain high risk types of Human Papillomavirus such as HPV16, is closely associated with these dysplasias and cancers, which are difficult to treat and have a high recurrence rate.

David Oxlade , Chief Executive Officer of Xenova said: "We are delighted that the promising TA-CIN vaccine is now progressing into further Phase II studies through this relationship with CRT. This collaboration provides further evidence of the potential value of Xenova’s portfolio of novel cancer drugs."

Dr Keith Blundy, Chief Operating Officer of CRT stated: "We are pleased to in-license and develop this opportunity from Xenova, which clearly demonstrates CRT’s strategy for expanding our oncology portfolio and addressing our goal of cancer patient benefit".

On December 16, 2004 Allos Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: ALTH) reported that it has acquired an exclusive worldwide license from the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, the University of Salford and Cancer Research Technology to develop and commercialize a new chemotherapeutic agent known as RH1 (Press release, Cancer Research Technology, DEC 16, 2004, View Source [SID1234523440]). The compound is currently being investigated in a Phase 1 clinical trial sponsored by Cancer Research UK, the largest volunteer-supported cancer research organization in the world.

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RH1 is a targeted cytotoxic prodrug that is bioactivated by the enzyme DT-diaphorase (DTD), which is over-expressed in many tumors relative to normal tissue, including lung, colon, breast and liver tumors. The drug exhibits a similar mechanism of action to the potent chemotherapeutic agent Mitomycin C, with greater potential activity against cells expressing high DTD and a potentially more favorable safety profile. RH1 was a nominated compound for advancement in the National Cancer Institute’s Developmental Therapeutics Program (DTP), which provides cancer drug discovery and development resources to the intramural, academic and industrial research communities.

"Pre-clinical work has shown RH1 to be a more efficient substrate for DTD than currently available agents," said Dr. David Ross, Professor of Toxicology and Chairman, Dept. of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Colorado. "This drug may offer a means to selectively target tumors expressing high levels of DTD."

RH1 is currently being evaluated in patients with advanced solid tumors refractory to other chemotherapy regimens in an open label, Phase 1 dose escalation study chaired by Dr. Malcolm Ranson, Director Derek Crowther Unit, Christie Hospital, Manchester, UK. Up to 40 patients will be enrolled to test the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics (PK) of escalating doses of RH1. Patient DTD enzyme levels are being measured to correlate with drug efficacy. Recruitment began in September 2003 and is expected to complete in the second half of 2005.

"We’ve enrolled nearly a third of the desired number of patients for the study and are encouraged by results seen to date from both a safety and efficacy standpoint," said Dr. Ranson.

Under the terms of the agreement, Allos will make an up-front payment and a series of milestone payments based upon the achievement of specified development, regulatory and commercialization goals. Allos will also make royalty payments based on product sales, if any, resulting from the collaboration. Cancer Research UK will continue to support the ongoing Phase 1 dose escalation study, and Allos will have the right to obtain an exclusive license to the results of the study, for use in subsequent development and regulatory activities, upon payment of a one-time data option fee. Upon completion of the Phase 1 study, Allos will assume responsibility for all further development costs and activities. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. However, Allos does not expect the in- licensing of RH1 to result in a material increase in its quarterly operating expenses for at least the next 18-24 months.

"We’re excited to add this novel compound to our growing oncology portfolio," said Michael E. Hart, President and Chief Executive Officer of Allos. "RH1 complements our current development programs and will allow us to capitalize on our in-house clinical, regulatory and manufacturing expertise."