News

NEWS

SOTIO Further Expands Next-Generation ADC Platform with License to Synaffix’s ADC Technology

  • SOTIO will leverage Synaffix’s antibody-drug conjugate platform for the design of up to three novel ADCs to address indications with high unmet medical need.
  • Collaboration bolsters SOTIO’s wider portfolio of differentiated immuno-oncology therapies tailored to address the specific challenges of solid tumors.
  • Synaffix will receive an upfront payment and potential development milestone payments totaling $740 million.
NEWS

SOTIO Secures €280m of Funding to Expand and Advance Clinical Pipeline

  • PPF Group provides funding to advance SOTIO through key clinical milestones
  • Proceeds shall be used to conduct two phase 2 studies with SOT101, including a checkpoint inhibitor combination trial
  • Three programs (SOT102, BOXR1030, and SOT201) to advance through phase 1

SOTIO Biotech, a clinical stage immuno-oncology company owned by PPF Group, announced today that is has secured €280m of funding to significantly expand and advance its clinical pipeline, including its lead asset SOT101, an IL-15 superagonist, and three new clinical programs until end of 2023.

NEWS

Acquisition agreement with Boehringer Ingelheim for NBE-Therapeutics marks first major biotech exit for PPF Group

  • €1.18 billion acquisition provides for significant returns to PPF Group as NBE’s largest shareholder
  • SOTIO, a clinical stage immuno-oncology company, and a member of PPF Group, continues development of two ADC products under the collaboration with NBE

PPF Group, an international investment group, today announced the signing of a binding agreement to sell its stake in NBE-Therapeutics to Boehringer Ingelheim. NBE-Therapeutics is using its proprietary iADC™ platform to develop potential best-in-class antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) therapies for the treatment of solid tumors. The lead program NBE-002, an iADC targeting ROR1, entered the Phase 1 clinical testing in 2020. 

NEWS

SOTIO opens office in Basel, Switzerland, to accelerate development of its pipeline products

SOTIO, a biotechnology company owned by the PPF Group, announce today the opening of offices of SOTIO Biotech AG at the Technology Park Basel, Switzerland. The SOTIO office will host the clinical development team, as well as other functions to progress its broad clinical development pipeline towards filing for marketing authorization and commercial launch.

NEWS

SOTIO exercises second target option under existing collaboration with NBE-Therapeutics to develop next-generation antibody-drug conjugates

Basel, Switzerland & Prague, Czech Republic – November 7, 2019  NBE-Therapeutics AG and SOTIO a.s. today announced that SOTIO has elected a second target for the development of a next generation antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) under their existing license and collaboration agreement. NBE and SOTIO will collaborate on the discovery, non-clinical development and manufacturing of this second undisclosed target. The development will be based on NBE’s proprietary antibody drug conjugate platform, including NBE’s site-specific SMAC-technologyTM conjugation and its new, highly potent anthracycline toxin platforms. SOTIO will take global responsibility for clinical development, registration and commercialization of the ADC products.

NEWS

PPF and SOTIO invest $6.5 million in MaveriX Oncology and its lead program MVX-5005

  • PPF Group, the majority owner of SOTIO, invests $6.5 million as part of MaveriX Oncology’s $20 million Series A financing round.
  • SOTIO obtained an option to license and co-develop MVX-5005 in Europe. 
  • MaveriX is eligible to receive up to $138 million in milestone payments.
  • Norbert Prenzel, SOTIO’s Head of Business Development, will represent PPF on MaveriX Oncology’s Board of Directors.

SOTIO, together with PPF, and MaveriX Oncology, Inc., today announce the investment of PPF Group in MaveriX Oncology Inc., a private biotech company with a proprietary pipeline of targeted, small-molecule cancer chemo-immunotherapeutics. PPF has committed to investing $6.5 million in MaveriX Oncology’s ongoing Series A financing contingent on key development milestones. In total, MaveriX is aiming to secure a total of $20 million in funding and the round will remain open for additional investors to join. The proceeds will enable MaveriX to advance the company’s lead program MVX-5005 through IND-enabling studies, and complete first-in-human Phase Ia/Ib clinical trials for the treatment of solid tumors in support of clinical proof-of-concept. The company will also advance further platform programs to drug candidate selection.

NEWS

PPF expands its investment in the healthcare sector through acquisition of significant stake in T cell therapy company Autolus Therapeutics

  • Investment provides 19.2% stake in Autolus
  • Autolus is PPF’s second largest investment in the healthcare sector, after PPF’s majority-owned biotechnology company SOTIO

PPF today announces the acquisition of a 19.2% stake in Autolus Therapeutics plc, a leader in next-generation T cell programming technologies. The shares were acquired in the market through NASDAQ.

NEWS

SOTIO initiates first-in-human clinical trial with IL-15 superagonist SO-C101

SOTIO and Cytune Pharma, members of the PPF Group, announce today the first dosing of cancer patients with SO-C101, a superagonist fusion protein of interleukin IL-15. The phase I/Ib study (SC103) will evaluate the safety and preliminary efficacy of SO-C101 in patients with selected advanced/metastatic solid tumors.

NEWS

SOTIO Receives Positive VHP Decision for SC103, a First-in-Human Clinical Trial in Patients with Advanced/Metastatic Solid Tumors

SOTIO, a biotechnology company belonging to the PPF Group, announces today that it received a positive decision further to the EU Voluntary Harmonisation Procedure (VHP) for the review of clinical trial application for the first-in-human clinical trial, study SC103, with its lead oncology asset SO-C101, a human fusion protein of IL-15 and the high-affinity binding domain of IL-15Rα. Study SC103 is a phase I/Ib study to evaluate the safety and preliminary efficacy of SO-C101 in patients with selected advanced/metastatic solid tumors. SOTIO expects to initiate the trial as soon as the concerned national (France and Spain) regulatory agencies and ethics committee approvals are granted. Enrolment of the first patient is planned in May 2019.

NEWS

SOTIO and PPF complete acquisition of Cytune Pharma

SOTIO, a biotechnology company owned by the PPF Group, announces today the completion of the acquisition of Cytune Pharma by PPF. SOTIO will continue to develop the lead program SO-C101 (RLI-15) within its pipeline and intends to initiate first-in- human clinical trials in early 2019. SOTIO is spearheading all of PPF’s activities in the biotech sector and closely cooperated during Cytune’s acquisition process. All Cytune projects will be developed as part of SOTIO’s pipeline.

NEWS

SOTIO to Present Translational Data of the IL-15 Superagonist SO-C101 at 2018 AACR Annual Meeting

SOTIO, a biotechnology company owned by the PPF Group, announces today presentation of a poster on SO-C101 at the upcoming American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2018. The poster, titled “Use of RLI-15 a clinical grade fusion protein with IL-15 superagonistic activity for the activation of anti-tumor immune response,” will highlight preclinical and translational data evaluating SO-C101 (RLI-15). The AACR Annual Meeting will be held on April 14 – 18, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois. 

NEWS

Cellestia Biotech raises CHF 8 million seed financing from private investors and PPF Group to advance its lead anti-cancer compound CB-103 to clinical development stage

Basel, Switzerland – January 26, 2017 – Cellestia Biotech AG, a private biopharmaceutical company with strategic focus on anti-cancer drugs modulating the NOTCH signaling pathway, today announced the final closing of its seed financing rounds securing a total of CHF 8 million in funding. The total seed financing includes proceeds of CHF 0.5 million Seed A and CHF 2.3 million Seed B financing rounds conducted during 2016 and the proceeds of the final Seed C financing round closing at CHF 5.2 million today, in which PPF Group, as an institutional investor, and several private investors participated. The funds will enable Cellestia to advance the lead product CB-103 and to conduct and complete a first-in-man phase I clinical study. The preparations for launching the clinical program in 2017 are ongoing.

NEWS

SOTIO and NBE-Therapeutics sign collaboration and license agreement for next-generation antibody-drug conjugates

Basel, Switzerland & Prague, Czech Republic  NBE-Therapeutics AG and SOTIO a.s. today announced that the companies have entered into a collaboration for the development of next-generation antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) for improved cancer therapy. Under the agreement, NBE and SOTIO will collaborate on the discovery, non-clinical development and manufacturing of novel ADC products against undisclosed targets. The ADC products will be based on NBE’s proprietary antibody discovery and conjugation platforms, including NBE’s Transpo-mAbTM antibody platform, its site-specific SMACTM conjugation technology and its novel ultra-potent toxin platform. SOTIO will have global responsibility for clinical development, registration and commercialization of the ADC products.

NEWS

Cytune Pharma secures €6M in financing to advance lead immuno-oncology program to Phase I

Nantes, June 29, 2016 Cytune Pharma SAS, a French biotechnology company focused on developing novel immunotherapies for the treatment of cancer, announced the closing of a €6M financing round from existing investors. Funds will be used to advance the RLI15 lead program to Phase I clinical trials. Key investor PPF Group and the founding shareholders also agreed on a full buyout of the remaining shares at the start of Phase I.

NEWS

PPF Group acquires a minority stake in biotech company Cytune Pharma in cooperation with SOTIO

PPF Group has acquired a significant minority stake in Cytune Pharma SAS, a French biotechnology company focused on researching and developing new therapies for immune modulation aimed at enhancing immune response of patients suffering from cancer and infectious diseases. Cytune’s platform based on modified IL-15 offers the possibility of combinations with other immunotherapeutic strategies, including checkpoint inhibitors. 

NEWS

PPF Group expands in the field of biotechnology and immunotherapy

PPF Group has acquired a minority stake in OriBase Pharma, a biotechnology company which specialises in the development of new therapies in oncology. The acquisition will strengthen PPF’s research and product portfolio, currently represented by SOTIO which is developing a next-generation Active Cellular Immunotherapy based on activated dendritic cells for the treatment of cancer and autoimmune diseases. Cooperation between OriBase Pharma and SOTIO will enable the effective sharing of research, expertise and clinical development capacities in the area of immunotherapy and targeted therapies.