Second European source of donor red blood cells secured in preparation for expanded production of red blood cell-based therapeutics
LYON, France and CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Feb. 20, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ERYTECH Pharma (Euronext: ERYP – Nasdaq: ERYP), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing innovative therapies by encapsulating drug substances inside red blood cells, today announced that it has entered into a strategic partnership with the German Red Cross Blood Donor Service Baden-Württemberg-Hessen (GRCBDS) to complement the existing alliance with the French Blood bank (EFS) for the supply of donor red blood cells to manufacture its product candidates, including eryaspase, in Europe.
The GRCBDS is one of the world’s largest blood and transfusion services, ensuring safe and adequate supply of blood products for approximately 30 million Germans (more than one-third of the German population). In addition to its focus on blood product supply and safety, GRCBDS provides laboratory and research support through its extensive network of health care professionals and has significant cell-based product manufacturing expertise. This partnership will allow ERYTECH to leverage GRCBDS as a key European supplier of donor red blood cells (RBCs) for the production of eryaspase and other ERYTECH product candidates at future manufacturing sites in Europe. This complements the Company’s existing alliance with the French Etablissement Francais du Sang (EFS), which will remain the primary source of supply of donor RBCs for ERYTECH’s product candidates manufactured in Lyon.
“This strategic partnership with the GRCBDS is consistent with our long-term strategy of selectively diversifying and expanding RBC sourcing for the production of our late stage candidate, eryaspase, and other product candidates,” stated Gil Beyen, Chief Executive Officer of ERYTECH. “Importantly, this supply agreement with the GRCBDS, along with our existing agreement with EFS, provides us with a second reliable partner with sufficient scale to enable the production of clinical and initial commercial supply of eryaspase in Europe. We look forward to a productive relationship with the GRCBDS.”
“We are pleased to enter into this agreement with ERYTECH as the development of RBC-based therapeutics is a highly innovative and exciting approach,” stated Erhard Seifried, Medical Director at the GRCBDS. “As leaders in the field of blood product procurement, we are happy to support ERYTECH as the company progresses its development plans with eryaspase and other therapeutic candidates.”
About ERYTECH: www.erytech.com
ERYTECH is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing innovative red blood cell-based therapeutics for severe forms of cancer and orphan diseases. Leveraging its proprietary ERYCAPS platform, which uses a novel technology to encapsulate drug substances inside red blood cells, ERYTECH is developing a pipeline of product candidates for patients with high unmet medical needs. ERYTECH’s primary focus is on the development of product candidates that target the altered metabolism of cancer cells by depriving them of amino acids necessary for their growth and survival.
The Company’s lead product candidate, eryaspase, which consists of L-asparaginase encapsulated inside donor-derived red blood cells, targets the cancer cell’s altered asparagine and glutamine metabolism. Eryaspase is in Phase 3 clinical development for the treatment of second-line pancreatic cancer and in Phase 2 for the treatment of first-line triple-negative breast cancer. An investigator-sponsored Phase 2 study in second-line acute lymphoblastic leukemia is ongoing in the Nordic countries of Europe.
ERYTECH produces its product candidates for treatment of patients in Europe at its GMP-approved manufacturing site in Lyon, France, and for patients in the United States at its recently opened GMP manufacturing site in Princeton, New Jersey, USA.
ERYTECH is listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market in the United States (ticker: ERYP) and on the Euronext regulated market in Paris (ISIN code: FR0011471135, ticker: ERYP). ERYTECH is part of the CAC Healthcare, CAC Pharma & Bio, CAC Mid & Small, CAC All Tradable, EnterNext PEA-PME 150 and Next Biotech indexes.
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Forward-looking information
This press release contains forward-looking statements, forecasts and estimates with respect to the clinical results from and the development plans of eryaspase, business and regulatory strategy, expansion of manufacturing capacity and anticipated future performance of ERYTECH and of the market in which it operates. Certain of these statements, forecasts and estimates can be recognized by the use of words such as, without limitation, “believes”, “anticipates”, “expects”, “intends”, “plans”, “seeks”, “estimates”, “may”, “will” and “continue” and similar expressions. All statements contained in this press release other than statements of historical facts are forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements regarding the ERYTECH’s business strategy including its clinical development of eryaspase; and ERYTECH’s anticipated manufacturing capacity. Such statements, forecasts and estimates are based on various assumptions and assessments of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which were deemed reasonable when made but may or may not prove to be correct. Actual events are difficult to predict and may depend upon factors that are beyond ERYTECH’s control. There can be no guarantees with respect to pipeline product candidates that the candidates will receive the necessary regulatory approvals or that they will prove to be commercially successful. Therefore, actual results may turn out to be materially different from the anticipated future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such statements, forecasts and estimates. Further description of these risks, uncertainties and other risks can be found in the Company’s regulatory filings with the French Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF), the Company’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings and reports, including in the Company’s 2018 Document de Référence filed with the AMF in March 2019 and in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the SEC on March 29, 2019 and future filings and reports by the Company. Given these uncertainties, no representations are made as to the accuracy or fairness of such forward-looking statements, forecasts and estimates. Furthermore, forward-looking statements, forecasts and estimates only speak as of the date of this press release. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any of these forward-looking statements. ERYTECH disclaims any obligation to update any such forward-looking statement, forecast or estimates to reflect any change in ERYTECH’s expectations with regard thereto, or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement, forecast or estimate is based, except to the extent required by law.
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