On September 2, 2013 WILEX reported that its subsidiary Heidelberg Pharma signed a license agreement with Roche covering the development of a novel class of antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) based on Heidelberg Pharma’s patented technology to couple α-Amanitin to antibodies (Press release Heidelberg Pharma, SEP 2, 2013, View Source [SID:1234501083]). The license agreement covers initial joint research to apply this technology to multiple Roche antibodies towards the identification of development candidates with favourable efficacy/safety profiles.
Heidelberg Pharma will receive regular payments for granting access to its technology and providing research services. Roche will subsequently have the opportunity to exercise options for licenses to develop and market selected Antibody Targeted Amanitin Conjugates (ATACs). Heidelberg Pharma will manufacture these substances and receive customary upfront payments, milestone payments and royalties for each development candidate selected by Roche.

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α-Amanitin is a bicyclic peptide naturally occurring in the green Death Cap mushroom. It potently inhibits the biosynthesis of RNA, a mechanism which is critical for the survival of cells. Accordingly, ATACs exhibit comparable activity against proliferating and resting tumour cells. This proliferation independent activity differentiates ATACs from other ADCs, which preferentially target proliferating tumour cells. As an additional advantage ATACs could offer a substantial capability to overcome the resistance mechanisms which might limit the efficacy of other antibody drug conjugates. The ATACs tested so far have shown strong anti-tumour activity in several preclinical tumour models.

Dr Jan Schmidt-Brand, Managing Director of Heidelberg Pharma GmbH and Chief Financial Officer of WILEX AG, commented: "We are delighted about the opportunity to collaborate with a company as renowned as Roche. This cooperation is an important external validation of our technology. We will use this cooperation to jointly explore and technically expand the applicability of our technology to selected antibodies."

Dr Klaus Bosslet, heading Roche Discovery Oncology in Penzberg, Germany, added: "We look forward to collaborating with Heidelberg Pharma to elect and develop the most promising ATACs. Ultimately, these ATACs may provide novel treatment options for cancer patients, whose tumours do not respond to available cancer therapeutics."