2018
PERSPECTIVES 2018
FOCUS ON NOVEL TREATMENTS TO COMBAT VISION LOSS
An aspiring new name to reflect our focus and ambition
Developing novel drugs through collaboration and strong science
Unlocking global business opportunities for JETREA®
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2018 FOCUS ON NOVEL TREATMENTS TO COMBAT VISION LOSS
contents "AN ASPIRING NAME TO REFLECT OUR FOCUS AND AMBITION" Patrik De Haes, MD, CEO Thomas Clay, Chairman of the Board of Directors
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“WE NEED THERAPIES FIGHTING DIFFERENT HALLMARKS SIMULTANEOUSLY”
“DEVELOPING NOVEL DRUGS THROUGH COLLABORATION AND STRONG SCIENCE”
“JOIN FORCES TO FIGHT EYE DISEASE IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES”
Andy De Deene, MD, Global Head of
Rajat Agrawal, MD, CEO of Retina Global
Prof. Alan Stitt, McCauley Chair of
Development
Experimental Ophthalmology
Susan Schneider, MD, Chief Medical Officer Jean Feyen, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer
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“OXURION REMAINS INNOVATOR IN NOVEL RETINAL THERAPIES”
“JETREA® HAS A GROUP OF VERY LOYAL USERS WORLDWIDE”
“LOOKING AT THE FUTURE OF IMMUNO-ONCOLOGY THERAPY”
Benjamin Yerxa, PhD, CEO of Foundation
Vinciane Vangeersdaele,
Prof. Gabriele Bergers, PhD
Fighting Blindness
Chief Commercial Officer
Prof. Jo Van Ginderachter , PhD Prof. Massimiliano Mazzone, PhD
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We are Oxurion
We are Oxurion® Advancing Science. Enhancing Vision.®
Formerly known as ThromboGenics, Oxurion builds on a yearlong expertise and knowledge platform resulting from local and international scientific collaboration. In today’s rebranding, we further embrace our core expertise and evoke our aspirations for the future. As before, we are driven by the ambition to expand our activities, building on our past, into new areas. A new name, breathing ambition and reflecting our mission: to prevent vision loss by delivering best-in-class therapies for back of the eye disease. The same company, built on profound scientific know-how: advanced research addressing unmet medical needs in ophthalmology.
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Interview: Patrik De Haes, MD, CEO and Thomas Clay, Chairman
“An aspiring name to reflect our focus and ambition”
An aspiring name to reflect our focus and ambition
Oxurion. The name breathes perspective and focus, a clear vision for the future. It reflects the core ambitions of the company, formerly known as ThromboGenics, and supports its mission to prevent vision loss worldwide. CEO Patrik De Haes and Chairman Thomas Clay are more than proud to present the new name and brand. “The new name comes from combining the words Oxygen and Orion”, explains CEO Patrik De Haes, MD. “Raising oxygen levels in cells plays a key role in helping prevent and reverse several key factors leading to diabetic eye disease. It's our goal to target these with unique therapies, as early as possible, to deliver the optimal benefit for patients.” “Orion is a character from Greek mythology. He was a god who was blinded but had his vision restored by Helios, the god of the sun. This reference captures our mission to enhance vision and fight blindness globally.” The renaming comes as the company has reached major clinical milestones and is accelerating the development of its unique pipeline of disease-modifying compounds for diabetic eye disease. “We are also looking at expanding our drug development horizon with additional and new areas of back of the eye disease,” adds Patrik De Haes. “We are definitely moving forward”, agrees Chairman Thomas Clay. “I’ve been on the company's Board of Directors for many years now, and I can’t remember a more vibrant and exciting time than today.”
targeting the key segments of the diabetic eye disease market. In recent months Oxurion has reached important clinical milestones. “We've initiated a Phase II clinical study evaluating anti-PlGF (THR-317) in combination with anti-VEGF for treatment of diabetic macular edema (DME)”, says CEO Patrik De Haes. “Today's standard of care for persons with DME consists of repeated injections with anti-VEGF, making it fairly intensive for them. Moreover, not all patients respond well to antiVEGF therapy. A combination approach to treating this multifactorial disease may provide better therapeutic outcomes for these patients.”
“I can’t remember a more vibrant and exciting time to be with our company than today.” Thomas Clay, Chairman of the Board of Directors
The drug's potential benefits have already been validated in several publications, including Experimental Eye Research. This peer-reviewed journal published preclinical data from early research on THR-317. In their conclusion, the authors clearly confirm the compound’s efficacy as comparable to that of VEGF inhibitors and highlight its potential added ability to reduce inflammation and fibrosis. “We are very enthusiastic about publications like these from the scientific community. They validate the potential of our drug development pipeline,” says Chairman Thomas Clay.
Clinical development milestones Over the years the company developed deep expertise in back of the eye disorders. Research work yielded a unique development pipeline of disease-modifying drug candidates
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An aspiring name to reflect our focus and ambition
Promising pathways
Our mission Our goal is to prevent vision loss and fight blindness worldwide by developing and delivering next-generation treatments in ophthalmology. We aim to lower the burden of treatment for patients and enhance practice management for physicians. We develop innovative compounds that each target a distinct, unexplored pathway to answer unmet medical needs in ophthalmology, with a focus on back of the eye disease.
And there’s more: new promising routes lie ahead with the molecule THR-149, a selective plasma kallikrein inhibitor, and THR-687, an pan RGD integrin antagonist. “In May 2018 we enrolled the first patient in a Phase I clinical study evaluating THR-149 for treating DME. Later this year we plan to bring THR-687, an pan RGD integrin antagonist, into the clinic. Preclinical research on this molecule yielded encouraging data showing this novel molecule's potential for treating a broad range of patients with diabetic retinopathy, with or without DME,” adds Patrik De Haes.
“The new name captures our mission to enhance vision and fight blindness globally.” Patrik De Haes, MD, CEO
Our current pipeline of unique drug candidates is focused on new treatment approaches for diabetic eye disease, and we will continue leveraging our expertise in diseases affecting the back of the eye to expand our pipeline to address additional indications with high unmet needs. We are committed to innovation through cross-disciplinary and cooperative research across the globe. Collaborating with stakeholders worldwide, we aim to deliver solutions enabling equal, affordable vision preservation for all people.
With all three of these disease-modifying candidates, the company aims to generate value in the fast-growing diabetic eye disease market.
Expanding the horizon “Deepening the company’s insights into back of the eye diseases and the hallmarks of diabetic retinopathy is an on going effort,” continues Thomas Clay. “As a biotech company, Oxurion wants to remain a leader in the retina field.” Patrik De Haes confirms: “This is why our preclinical research team is constantly seeking new ways to add innovative targets to our discovery pipeline in diseases of the back of the eye.”
Global commercialization of Jetrea Oxurion owns the global commercial rights to Jetrea, the only pharmacological vitreolysis drug approved for treating symptomatic vitreomacular adhesion (sVMA, in the US) and
Perspectives
An aspiring name to reflect our focus and ambition
vitreomacular traction (sVMT, outside the US). “We are proud that our product, first introduced in 2013, has been approved in over 50 countries with nearly 30,000 patients being treated. Our dedicated Commercial Team is now setting up a full operational business unit and evaluating how best to capitalize on the drug’s global opportunities,” says Patrik De Haes.
Oncurious: fighting childhood cancer and exploring new assets in immuno-oncology Oxurion is also the co-owner of Oncurious, together with VIB (Flanders Institute for Biotechnology). Oncurious is conducting a clinical trial with the antibody TB-403 (anti-PlGF) to treat medulloblastoma, the most common life-threatening brain tumor in young children. Earlier this year, Oncurious stepped into the immuno-oncology area by acquiring a unique portfolio of next-generation immuno-oncology assets from VIB. Patrik De Haes: “The compounds have an extraordinary scientific foundation of seminal work at the VIB-KU Leuven labs of Professor Massimiliano Mazzone and Professor Gabriele Bergers and the VIB-VUB lab of Professor Jo Van Ginderachter. With these new assets, Oncurious will start preclinical programs targeting a broad spectrum of cancers. We expect this effort to generate valuable outcomes within a few years.” “As shareholder of Oncurious, we are focusing on generating value in the oncology segment that will then be invested in our drug development efforts,” confirms Thomas Clay.
Unique position
Our name Our name is derived by combining ‘Oxygen’ and ‘Orion’. Raising oxygen levels in cells plays an important role in preventing or reversing key factors leading to diabetic eye disease. Referencing this word reflects our mission to target these factors with unique therapies, as early as possible, to deliver an optimal benefit for patients. Orion was a Greek mythological figure who, after first being blinded, had his vision restored by the sun god Helios. This reference captures our mission - to enhance vision and fight blindness globally.
Chairman Clay continues: “All of our clinical and preclinical programs were recognized this past year by scientists, retina specialists, our shareholders, and other stakeholders of the medical and eye community. Our promising landscape of next-generation treatments targets significant markets and confirms the unique position of Oxurion as a focused biotech company.” “In fulfilling our mission we also keep reaching out to the broad eye community. It is vital that researchers, biotech companies and patient organizations join forces to offer better treatment options for vision problems and fight blindness worldwide,” CEO Patrik De Haes concludes.
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Diabetic eye disease Diabetes is a worldwide pandemic affecting 425 million adults*, causing a steady rise in diabetic eye disease. Some 1 of 3 people in this growing diabetes population will develop diabetic retinopathy (DR) with or without diabetic macular edema (DME). This severe and degenerative disease leads to vision loss, and in later stages even blindness. Oxurion saw an unmet medical need for fighting these disorders and is researching innovative treatments, with a clear mission to combat vision loss in persons with diabetes. *Source: www.idf.org
Interview Professor Alan Stitt
“We need therapies fighting different hallmarks simultaneously�
Diabetic eye disease
Every person with diabetes is at risk of going blind. The two main causes are proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) and diabetic macular edema (DME). From years of studying the progression of diabetic eye disease, Prof. Alan Stitt points to a need for better therapies compatible with the current standard of care. PDR and DME are two manifestations of diabetic retinopathy (DR), and in many respects they stem from the same cause, explains Prof. Alan Stitt, Dean of Innovation & Impact and the McCauley Chair of Experimental Ophthalmology. “Diabetes causes damage to vascular cells in the retina. This progressive decline in vascular functions relates to depletion of blood vessels, causing a lack of nutrition and oxygen reaching the retina. This is known as ischemia, a kind of stroke, which can cause leakage and abnormal growth of blood vessels.”
Dysfunctional cells In the first case the patient develops DME, in the second PDR, but both conditions can also occur at the same time. What’s more, blood vessels in the retina are surrounded by glial cells protecting neurons and immune cells. DR also damages them. “All those blood vessels and cells act together as one unit. If one becomes dysfunctional, the whole unit becomes suboptimal. Much research thus focuses on trying to understand what causes dysfunction of this so-called neurovascular unit which eventually leads to loss of blood vessels and retinal neurons,” says Prof. Stitt. “Stopping the early damage to the neurovascular unit could halt the progression of DR to PDR with or without DME.” The professor believes inflammation is probably behind much of the pathology in DR in a very chronic and progressive manner. “It is not the same as having an acute infection. Inflammation in DR is much more low-key, but over time it
Who is Prof. Alan Stitt? Prof. Alan Stitt was appointed to the McCauley Chair of Experimental Ophthalmology in Queen's University Belfast in March 2001. For over 10 years he was Director of the Centre for Vision & Vascular Science (CVVS), then the re-configured Centre for Experimental Medicine. He is now Dean of Innovation and Impact within the Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences. He is internationally known for his research in ophthalmology. His academic strengths are reflected in his publication output, which has garnered numerous citations. He has been awarded leading prizes including the Royal Society Merit Award (2011), the Sir Jules Thorn Biomedical Science Award (2010), and the 5th Fincham Medal (2016) (from the City of London’s Livery Companies) in recognition of research on diabetic retinopathy and neovascular events in diabetes. He is a leading contributor to the academic community by assuming editorial responsibility, holding editorial board memberships for various journals, serving on advisory panels, and presenting guest lectures across the world. Prof. Stitt’s research has focused on the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy and age-related retinal disease, where he discovered the role of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and their receptors in the progression of these diseases. His work has uncovered several inter-related pathways involved in neuroglial and microvascular dysfunction in the diabetic and ageing retina. This research has led to developing and testing several compounds that have progressed to clinical trials. (Source: Queen’s University Belfast)
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Diabetic eye disease
becomes a key factor in vascular dysfunction. Novel therapies fighting this inflammation could therefore offer benefits to diabetes patients.”
Hand in hand with current therapies The current standard of care for PDR and DME is repeated injections with anti-VEGF medicines. “One result of a lack of oxygen in the retina is an upregulation of hypoxia mediated growth factor. This is an increase in the number of receptors in cells, making them more sensitive to a certain substance. The best known is vascular endothelial growth factor or VEGF,” explains Prof. Stitt. “It has been proven that if you block that growth factor using an antibody, you can effectively prevent the vascular leakage causing DME. Anti-VEGF therapy is very effective but quite intrusive for patients. They must undergo repeated injections or the retinal edema will return. Some patients respond very late, some in a delayed manner and some not at all. This argues in favor of novel therapies that can conform to this current standard of care and improve the outcome for patients.” Oxurion is researching a PlGF antibody (anti-PlGF, THR317) in a phase II clinical study for treating DME in persons with diabetes, in combination with anti-VEGF. “This is a very promising clinical study. It positions very nicely alongside anti-VEGF medicines and potentially can also have anti-inflammatory aspects and protect the neurons in the retina. That would be a major benefit for patients. It might also work for non-responsive patients, or could mean that patients need fewer injections.”
Diabetes, a worldwide pandemic Diabetes is a worldwide pandemic and a leading health emergency of this century. The 2017 edition of the International Diabetes Federation Atlas puts the number of people living with diabetes at nearly half a billion. This chronic disease occurs when the pancreas can no longer make insulin, or the body cannot make good use of the insulin it produces. This leads to higher glucose levels in the blood (hyperglycemia), eventually causing damage to several parts of the body and severe complications like diabetic eye disease. Nearly half of people with type 2 diabetes are unaware they have it, putting them at greater risk for developing complications like diabetic eye disease. More than a third of those with diabetes eventually develop some form of visual disorder, like diabetic retinopathy (DR) and/or diabetic macular edema (DME). Source: International Diabetes Federation Atlas, edition 2017
Diabetes by age (20-79 years)
Precision medicine Prof. Stitt sees a major opportunity in enabling diabetic retinopathy to identify patients responding to anti-VEGF as opposed to non- or late responders. “Ophthalmology lags behind the cancer field in adopting a precision medicine approach. But research is ongoing, and if we could find a way to phenotype patients in a more detailed manner there may be an opportunity to treat non-responding patients with other medicines. For instance, anti-PlGF could potentially offer benefits for the non-responders.”
327 million
20-64 years
438 million
20-64 years
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2017
98 million
65-79 years
2045
191 million
65-79 years
Diabetic eye disease
It is also hard to predict which patient will develop PDR and which will have DME. “There are hallmarks that indicate disease progression, but PDR and DME are often driven by the same ones. Some patients will progress quickly, others very slowly if at all. So therapies that can stop the progression at a very early stage, or novel treatments tackling several hallmarks simultaneously, would also be very advantageous.”
New pathways Prof. Stitt says the search for therapies to treat DR or DME could also unlock opportunities for other eye diseases. “Diabetes is a pandemic, but another global challenge is definitely the ageing population. People worldwide are living longer so they suffer increasingly from age-related eye diseases like age-related macular degeneration (AMD). It is proven that, similar to PDR, abnormal angiogenesis drives one sub-type of AMD, known as the ‘wet’ form. The larger proportion of AMD patients have the so-called ‘dry’ form which is sometimes called geographic atrophy. In this form of AMD, retinal tissue slowly wastes away due to cell degeneration. The anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective aspects of anti-PlGF could potentially have some efficacy in geographic atrophy. All these aspects could be interesting targets to research.”
Strategic focus of Oxurion “I believe Oxurion is well positioned to explore all these pathways and find innovative treatments for diseases affecting the back of the eye,” confirms Prof. Stitt. “The company has a strong strategic focus on the retina and long-standing core expertise in that area. It can screen drugs and look for their efficacy in its established preclinical programs. It also has good experience in clinical development, so it can efficiently move from preclinical evidence into early stage clinical trials. Its in-depth focus enables it to detect the added value and market position of new compounds,” concludes Prof. Stitt.
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Oxurion Science teamwork advances R&D pipeline
“Developing novel drugs through collaboration and strong science�
Interview
Andy De Deene, MD, Global Head of Development Susan Schneider, MD, Chief Medical Officer Jean Feyen, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer
Diabetic eye disease
A key strength of Oxurion is its collaborative mind-set. Its Science team displays this under the leadership of Susan Schneider, MD (Chief Medical Officer), Andy De Deene, MD (Global Head of Development) and Jean Feyen, PhD (Chief Scientific Officer). They guide development of the company’s innovative pipeline, driven by intensive research and based on solid scientific evidence. “We work as a complimentary team, putting Oxurion in a unique position as a very agile biotech company,” says Susan Schneider, who joined the company’s leadership team in 2017. With nearly 15 years of experience in clinical drug development, she oversees the company’s global clinical and medical groups. The exciting and innovative Oxurions pipeline persuaded Susan Schneider to join the team. “This is a small R&D company with big ambitions and various development opportunities for the future. We take a truly objective and scientific approach to understanding the retinal space and the underlying mechanisms of action in diabetic eye disease. That positions us well to address the pathophysiology at hand and to focus on developing important disease-modifying treatments. The close cross-functional interactions between our preclinical, clinical and medical teams clearly make that possible.”
Cross-functional development “Development is cross-functional,” agrees Andy De Deene. “Our approach is unique because all teams stay involved throughout the process. In the clinical phase Development works hard on the regulatory, quality and safety aspects to get approvals in several countries. But our ultimate goal is to bring new therapies to clinics, so the medical side is
involved from the beginning and critical at the end. And we continually consult the Preclinical Research people along the way. In bigger companies these fields are typically divided.” Jean Feyen confirms: “Throughout the development, even in phase II and III trials, we remain accountable for the research targets we explored because every phase has preclinical aspects to address. This type of complimentary action lets us be fast and agile without sacrificing quality.”
Ophthalmology as science platform In exploring innovative pathways to fight diabetic eye disease, Oxurion aims to understand key areas of unmet medical need. “We want to make a difference and to build on the insights and experience gained from developing ocriplasmin (Jetrea) for symptomatic VMA/VMT,” says Susan Schneider.
“Complementary action between preclinical, clinical and medical teams lets us be fast and agile without sacrificing quality.” Jean Feyen, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer
Jean Feyen confirms: “In the biotech field many companies have science platforms based on a certain technology, like antibodies. Ours is ophthalmology, and more specifically the retinal space. We have a wealth of knowledge and experience in understanding retinal diseases and patients' unmet medical needs. Susan now brings additional extensive ophthalmology clinical development expertise, so together we can to map the Oxurion medical scientific strategy for the future.”
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Diabetic eye disease
Understanding diabetic eye disease Everyone with diabetes is at risk of developing vision problems and of going blind. Diabetic eye disease results directly from chronic high blood glucose levels that damage the retina. Patients can develop diabetic retinopathy (DR), a progressive disease with potentially diabetic macular edema (DME) as a further complication. This is characterized by a swelling of the macula due to ischemia. About 93 million adults worldwide are affected with DR, making it the leading cause of vision loss in the working population. One in ten persons with DR will develop its vision-threatening form. As it progresses DR can cause blurry vision, cloudy vision, or colors that look faded. If left untreated, DR can lead to blindness. These symptoms can greatly impair quality of life and daily activities like driving the car, working, or household chores.
The symptoms of diabetic retinopathy (DR) Patients with diabetes have raised glucose levels in their blood, causing changes in certain proteins and a series of problems in the back of the eye. In an early stage the patient suffers from leaking blood vessels (hyperpermeability), causing inflammation in the back of the eye. This causes edema and proliferation of new blood vessels (angiogenesis) in the vitreous or along the retina's surface, eventually leading to permanent damage through development of scar tissue (fibrosis). As the inflammation intensifies the hyperpermeability worsens, causing new inflammation, more edema and more proliferation and scar tissue. As this vicious circle continues, the disease progresses.
The symptoms of diabetic macular edema (DME) DME occurs when fluid leaks into the macula (the central part of the light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye). These leaks cause the macula to thicken and swell, progressively distorting acute vision. In some cases this can lead to a severe loss in central vision. Inflammation
Permeability
Neuro and vascular dysfunction
Edema
Leakage, occlusion & non-perfusion
Angiogenesis
Fibrosis
Neurodegeneration
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eye community
Diabetic eye disease
“JOIN FORCES TO FIGHT EYE DISEASE IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES” Rajat Agrawal, MD, CEO Retina Global
Retina Global's goal is to save the world from blindness, specifically related to retinal diseases. “This focus on the retina makes us unique as a global organization,” says Rajat Agrawal, MD, CEO. Retina Global concentrates its work in developing countries in Africa and Central and South America, and wants to partner with research companies pursuing novel treatments to the best international standards. “In those parts of the world there are many patients who lack access to routine retinal care,” Dr. Agrawal explains. “We aim to provide clinical care by sending retina specialists to Africa and Central and South America. But our bigger goal is to create a sustainable outcome. We want to train local people as retina specialists and share their expertise with the next generation.”
Beyond doubt, the diabetic retinopathy (DR) pandemic is larger in the Third World. “Patients there often aren’t aware they have diabetes, let alone DR. Moreover, they often must travel far to clinics or medical centers and can’t take time off from their work because their whole family's income depends on it. That is why we often see patients an a very late and severe stage of DR.” “If they do come at an early stage and the medicines are available, we try to treat them with anti-VEGFs. But this requires repeated injections and many times they're unable to return in time for those. For them, an innovative new treatment requiring fewer injections could be a godsend. That is why we're keenly interested in the clinical trials Oxurion has in the pipeline. We're
For the past two years the Science team has been working hard on drug development targeting diabetic retinopathy (DR). This yielded several programs in clinical development and one more for which clinical trials will be initiated shortly.
eager to join forces with the industry and research community to fight retinal diseases globally.” Dr. Agrawal sees it as vital for patient organizations like Retina Global and research companies like Oxurion to partner for clinical trials. “Many patients in the Third World have never been exposed to medication before. Such patients are ideal to explore in early clinical trials. If we work together we truly can make a difference in finding new treatments to the best international standards,” concludes Dr. Agrawal.
Combination study with THR-317 One of the compounds, THR-317, a placental growth factor antibody, is being evaluated to potentially treat diabetic macular edema (DME) in persons with diabetes mellitus. “In preclinical models this compound has some distinct pharmacology features compared to the current standard of care
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Treating diabetic eye disease DR often goes undetected because people with diabetes experience no symptoms of vision loss in its early stages. Screening and diagnosis do not happen until there is already vision loss, meaning DR is possibly in its severe stage. Screening diabetes sufferers regularly through eye examinations with ophthalmoscopy, optical coherence tomography (OCT), or retinal photography is therefore critical. Good management of diabetes is the key to preventing DR from progressing at a first stage. There are currently no treatments to restore vision loss in persons with DR, but when it has reached its severe and sight-threatening phase there are some methods to preserve vision. Treatments include laser therapy, intravitreal injections with anti-VEGF and in some cases cortisone, or a vitrectomy. These are effective in preventing further vision loss and stabilizing vision. But anti-VEGF treatment with repeated injections is fairly intrusive for persons with DR, and unfortunately not every patient responds well to the therapy. Oxurion saw an unmet medical need for treating DR and DME, and is working on three novel disease-modifying medicines to this end. A PlGF antibody is being developed for treating DME, and might offer added value as a combination therapy with current anti-VEGF treatments for DME or DR. Moreover, a selective plasma kallikrein inhibitor (THR-149) is in a clinical phase I study for treating DME and an pan RGD integrin antagonist (THR-687) will also enter clinical development shortly.
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with anti-VEGF therapy,” explains Jean Feyen. “Like anti-VEGF, anti-PlGF also affects the edema aspect of diabetic retinopathy. But in addition, our research has shown a positive effect of anti-PlGF on inflammation, another key disease hallmark of DR. Moreover, our compound is neutral and perhaps even slightly beneficial for the neuronal compartment of the eye and inhibit collagen deposition in fibrotic eye lesions.” Oxurion is running a phase II clinical study with THR-317 to investigate its efficacy and safety profile, in combination with anti-VEGF for the potential treatment of DME. “We want to see whether we can address additional components of diabetic eye disease, such as inflammation and/or neurodegeneration in this program”, says Susan Schneider. “That way we could potentially offer improved treatment outcomes for patients. Our focus on the patient helps to define our areas of concentration, that, in turn, drive our drug development goals.” Jean Feyen continues: “Our ultimate goal is to research and develop innovative therapies with disease-modifying activity. DR is a chronic and degenerative disease for which there is currently no adequate treatment. Anti-VEGFs are saving patients' vision, but they don’t cure the disease and require repeated injections in the eye. If we could modify the disease by combining current therapies and novel products with added benefits, this could potentially reduce the number of injections over time.”
Diabetic eye disease
Continued development of research targets
has a strong potential on the vascular leakage aspect of DR,” says Andy De Deene.
Oxurion has also initiated a phase I clinical study to evaluate THR-149, a plasma kallikrein inhibitor, for treatment of DME. “With plasma kallikrein as a validated target, this compound
With THR-687, an pan RGD integrin antagonist, Oxurion is aiming at a broader spectrum of DR hallmarks. A clinical trial with this compound will be initiated shortly.
eye community
“OXURION REMAINS INNOVATOR IN NOVEL RETINAL THERAPIES” Benjamin Yerxa, PhD, CEO of Foundation Fighting Blindness
Foundation Fighting Blindness is a global nonprofit organization devoted to providing treatments, prevention and cures for blinding retinal diseases. CEO Benjamin Yerxa sees a huge medical need in neuroprotection and preventing degeneration of the retina. “There is currently an explosion in R&D activities in the retinal space. Numerous potential new therapies are ready for translation into clinical studies, making this a truly exciting time for the eye community,” says Benjamin Yerxa, CEO of Foundation Fighting Blindness. With its focus on diabetic eye disease, Oxurion contributes to these developmental evolutions in retinal disease. Benjamin Yerxa says the company has always been among the leaders in this area. “I think Oxurion is true to its nature, and that gives it serious credibility in the community. They've been working on novel treatments for retinal diseases for a long time and remain an innovator. That sets them apart from many other companies and gives confidence for the future.”
Foundation Fighting Blindness is constantly looking for new research and development of novel therapies. It funds academic researchers to search for new discoveries or interventions based on the action mechanism of diseases. The Foundation focuses on inherited and age-related retinal disorders, but Benjamin Yerxa also points to important synergies in researching genetic eye diseases and larger indications like diabetic retinopathy. “The disease processes show similarities. If we could discover and develop a compound that is neuroprotective and helps prevent retinal degeneration, that would be helpful in inherited retinal diseases but also in DR and age-related retinal disorders.”
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“Developing innovative medicines doesn’t happen in isolation. We look for as many interactions as possible.” Andy De Deene, MD, Global Head of Development
“This compound could have positive effects on inflammation and edema, but also on neovascularisation. It's a powerful combination that could target both early- and later-stage DR,” says Jean Feyen.
Addressing a sub-optimal response to current therapies “What’s important is that all our pathways are anti-VEGF independent,” adds Andy De Deene. “For example, we explore THR-317 also in combination with anti-VEGFs but they all can work independently. That is why we also focus on patient populations where anti-VEGFs don’t always work.”
eye community
“CUTTING-EDGE RESEARCH CAN CHANGE PEOPLE'S LIVES” Jeff Todd, President & CEO Prevent Blindness US
Prevent Blindness has existed for more than a century with one clear mission: to prevent blindness and preserve sight. The organization focuses on eye health conditions in the US, working to improve both education and public policy. “Partnerships with the industry and biotech companies like Oxurion are crucial to us,” says Jeff Todd, President & CEO. “It is vital that ophthalmologists, retina specialists, patient organizations, R&D companies and the big pharma industry work together to have an impact on a large scale. It will take all of us to fight blindness and sight-threatening diseases.” “Visual disorders have a large impact on the patient’s life,” he continues. “Not being able to drive a car or go to work makes them lose their independence. That is
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definitely an aspect Prevent Blindness is strongly focusing on. We want to make sure people have a high quality of life, not impacted by visual problems.” To fulfil its mission, Prevent Blindness wants to partner with organizations that are trying to solve problems currently lacking a treatment or looking for ways to improve an existing one. “That is why we're so excited to partner with Oxurion. They have an innovative approach to new eye care research for conditions that presently have no known therapies. Their cutting-edge research can really improve and change people’s lives,” concludes Jeff Todd.
Diabetic eye disease
Diabetes mellitus, as a systemic disease, is a pandemic globally and with that, an increase in the incidence of diabetic eye disease goes hand in hand. Diabetic retinopathy can result in vision loss and even blindness. “We believe that this is a growing area of unmet medical need in which new and innovative alternative and/or adjunctive treatments might be able to address its multifactorial nature and thus have the potential to improve outcomes,” says Susan Schneider.
“Our focus on the patient helps to define our areas of concentration, that, in turn, drive our drug development goals.” Susan Schneider, MD, Chief Medical Officer
Reaching out to the community A vital success factor for the company’s clinical programs is its strong relationship with the ophthalmology community. “Interacting with scientists and clinical investigators is critical to us,” says Jean Feyen. “We're not going to cure eye diseases by ourselves as a company. We depend on a broad community of retinal specialists, scientific experts and patient advocacy organizations. Our goal is to a have highly productive drug discovery engine by integrating the knowledge in the field and selected scientific collaborations.”
“Developing innovative medicines doesn’t happen in isolation. We look for as many interactions as possible that enable us to deliver innovative drugs. Regaining the global rights to Jetrea pushed us forward in that respect. We are now a true global player, giving us even more exposure to the medical community”, adds Andy De Deene. “In the end, our primary focus is always on the patient,” says Susan Schneider. “Through insights gained from healthcare professionals, advocacy groups and the patients themselves, we hope to continue to gain a sound and relevant perspective on this very important aspect of drug development. That way we keep optimizing our potential to provide the best possible therapies to treat debilitating eye diseases.”
Crossroads “The Science team is now highly focused on operationalizing aspects of its rich development pipeline in diabetic eye disease, which includes initiating these clinical programs and enrolling the first patients in these clinical trials,” says Susan Schneider. “We will also continue to look to optimize our programs in a data driven and patient-centric way.” Meanwhile, the company is already looking to the future, exploring unmet medical needs in the broader area of retinal vascular diseases and in additional areas of interest in back of the eye disorders. “We're at a crossroads: our rich DR portfolio is being developed but we also have some new targets being discovered. We intend to remain current with what’s happening in the ophthalmology space and in touch with the community to explore the best strategic paths moving forward to the future,” concludes Jean Feyen.
Oxurion therefore consults regularly with various experts during the research and development process for all compounds. “They bring complimentary knowledge from which we learn and can apply to our programs. It's essential for us to stay scientifically sound and clinically relevant,” adds Susan Schneider. “That is why we are excited and proud to see our preclinical work published in international peer-reviewed journals like Experimental Eye Research. It helps to illustrate the high quality of our science,” says Jean Feyen.
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Diabetic eye disease
PIPELINE EXPANDING OUR HORIZON Oxurion is continuously expanding its work in earlier-stage projects, searching for new pathways and compounds for developing next-generation treatments for back of the eye disorders, with a focus on diabetic eye disease. Before a new medicine becomes available to the broad public, it goes through an extensive preclinical and clinical validation process. Oxurion currently has several compounds in clinical development, with at least one more entering clinical trials this year. Further new drug candidates are currently being researched for the treatment of back of the eye disease.
RESEARCH
PRE-CLINICAL
CLINICAL PHASE I
THR-317 (ANTI-PIGF) Diabetic retinopathy, DME
THR-149 (PLASMA KALLIKREIN INHIBITOR) DME THR-687 (PAN RGD INTEGRIN ANATAGONIST) Diabetic retinopathy
NOVEL COMPOUNDS undisclosed
Perspectives
2018
2018
Diabetic eye disease
CLINICAL PHASE II
CLINICAL PHASE III
GO
2018
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JETREAÂŽ Global business unit Through an agreement with Novartis, Oxurion regained full global commercial rights to its product Jetrea, the first and only approved pharmacological treatment for symptomatic VMA/VMT. The Commercial Team is assuring continuity of care for patients and physicians and evaluating how best to capitalize on the global opportunities and untapped potential to commercialize Jetrea worldwide. First introduced in 2013, Jetrea has been approved in over 50 countries with nearly 30,000 patients being treated.
Interview Vinciane Vangeersdaele Chief Commercial Officer
Chief Commercial Officer Vinciane Vangeersdaele is setting up the Oxurion global business unit.
“Jetrea has a group of very loyal users worldwide�
JETREA® Global business unit
Gaining the global rights to Jetrea from Novartis brought new responsibilities to Oxurion. Chief Commercial Officer Vinciane Vangeersdaele is setting up a full operational business unit to assure continuity of care for physicians and their patients. “Our flexible organization is a good fit to answer the specific needs of Jetrea users,” she notes. Vinciane Vangeersdaele joined the Oxurion leadership team this past year. With extensive experience in commercializing pharmaceutical portfolios worldwide, including in ophthalmology, she was attracted by the company’s dedicated strategy in back of the eye diseases. “Driving innovation allows us to actually change patients’ lives," she says. "Our strong focus should enable us to truly make a difference in bringing value to end users.” “In this respect the Jetrea business case intrigues me. There is a group of physician customers who have stayed very loyal to this innovative product over the years. By using it with the right selected patients they have witnessed its value in treating symptomatic VMA/VMT. They also continue to investigate the drug’s potential and publish those data. Since the OASIS study there have been a lot of real-life, evidence-based publications on Jetrea. This shows the continuous interest in our product.”
Real world evidence Vinciane Vangeersdaele says Oxurion is now investigating what drives retina specialists to use Jetrea for their patients. “That way we will show its potential with real world, userbased evidence. Over the years, users have continued to investigate and understand Jetrea. Real world evidence could help us further to understand if and how the drug stops the disease from progressing and preventing further vision loss in patients with sVMA/VMT.”
A key factor in producing strong outcomes with Jetrea is good patient selection. “This was clearly shown by the OASIS study with ocriplasmin, evaluating the drug in a twoyear follow-up study. We want to build on these results to create a sustainable, long-term solution for physicians and their patients.” Jetrea is now approved in over 50 countries and being used to treat nearly 30,000 patients. “In 18 countries the product is also reimbursed. With the evidence we've accumulated we're now also preparing a reimbursement dossier in Belgium. This will be a landmark event, Oxurion being a Belgian company,” says Vinciane Vangeersdaele.
Untapped opportunities Regaining the global commercial rights to Jetrea from Novartis brought new responsibilities. “We are now setting up a full operational business unit to meet all the requirements for commercializing this product on a global scale: regulatory, supply chain, legal and commercial, etc.” “Our first priority is ensuring a smooth transition for physicians and patients. As a smaller organization we should be able to adapt resources more flexibly to answer specific market needs,” adds Vinciane Vangeersdaele. Local commercial teams are being set up in identified key countries. “We're focusing on the existing markets. The commercial team in the US will be reinforced. Their insights in building long-term customer relationships will be invaluable. Other best practices from the past in countries like Germany, Italy or Canada will be leveraged more broadly.” Oxurion will also launch the already diluted formulation of Jetrea in the second part of 2018. “This will make our product easier to administer, providing a more easy to use, fast and efficient solution to professionals,” says Vinciane Vangeersdaele
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JETREA® Global business unit
Symptomatic VMA/VMT: patient journey Oxurion pioneered the pharmacological vitreolysis drug category with Jetrea and was the first to bring it to market. Jetrea is the world’s only approved pharmacological vitreolysis treatment for symptomatic VMA/VMT. Previously, the only treatment option for patients with this severe eye condition was observation, followed by surgical separation of the vitreous from the retina in a procedure called a vitrectomy.
Patient journey The patient experiences vision changes: metamorphopsia (blurred vision) and/or a macular hole (central blindness).
The patient consults an ophthalmologist, who determines that the patient is suffering from an early stage of VMA/VMT. The patient is diagnosed via optical coherence tomography (OCT), a non-invasive imaging technique that can deliver instant realtime, high-resolution images of eye tissue.
The ophthalmologist refers the patient to a retina specialist, who discusses the treatment options with the patient.
Combining commercial and scientific know-how Vinciane Vangeersdaele confirms the agreement with Novartis was a milestone for the company, not just for Jetrea. “We now truly have a global footprint. Commercializing the product worldwide will position us closer to our stakeholders, for both Jetrea and our drug development pipeline. Because in the end, we are offering solutions to the same population of physicians.”
Perspectives
Treatment options: Observation: This is the process of ‘watchful waiting’ until the condition of the patient deteriorates until he or she is eligible for surgical treatment and repair of the retina. However, this is not a suitable option for many patients, since irreversible damage to the retina may have already occurred.
Injection with Jetrea: Jetrea is the first pharmacological option for treating symptomatic VMA and VMT. It is administered as an intravitreal injection. The drug allows physicians to treat patients with the relevant symptoms in an early stage. Successful treatment can improve the patients’ vision and their ability to carry out normal daily activities. It can also halt the further progression of the disease.
Vitrectomy: Before Jetrea, the only treatment option for patients with symptomatic VMA/VMT was surgical separation of the vitreous from the retina, in a procedure called a vitrectomy. This entails several risks and can lead to complications such as bleeding, pain, post-operative inflammation and irritation. Because of this, the surgery is usually only performed after the patient’s vision has deteriorated significantly. This approach is called ‘observation’ or ‘watchful waiting’.
Her ultimate aim is to bring market insights into early stages of the Oxurion clinical development portfolio. “I find it fascinating to work closely with the R&D department. The beauty of Oxurion is that we're a true biotech company that has commercialized its own product. This brings us closer to the end user and makes us truly understand what the market needs. Combining scientific and commercial know-how will bolster Oxurion strategy for the future.”
eye community
“TRAINING OPHTHALMOLOGISTS IS ESSENTIAL TO FIGHT BLINDNESS IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES” Isabelle Verhaegen, Director of Light for the World
Since 2014, Oxurion has been supporting the Belgian branch of the European NGO Light for the World. It fights eye disease in Rwanda, Tanzania and Congo, providing organizational, technical and financial support to medical eye centers. “Our key ambition is to put an end to avoidable blindness worldwide,” says Isabelle Verhaegen, Director of Light for the World. “Creating awareness of eye diseases really is key for developing countries, such as in Africa. For example, most people with cataracts don’t know their vision problems can be easily treated. For diabetic retinopathy it's even worse: people often don’t even know they have diabetes, let alone that their disease can cause vision threatening disorders if left untreated.”
Light for the World supports local partner organizations in creating disease awareness among the population in Rwanda, Tanzania and Congo. “We also help local partners build and equip medical eye care centers, and with educating local doctors. We give scholarships to students wanting to study ophthalmology and send European specialists to train local doctors as eye specialists.” Oxurion has supported Light for the World since 2014. “With their funding we supported, for instance, the eye department of a hospital in Tanzania and gave a scholarship to a doctor to be trained as an ophthalmologist,” says Ms. Verhaegen. One problem developing countries face is insufficient equipment and knowledge to treat certain eye diseases. “For diabetic retinopathy that is definitely the case. There is often no
access to the current standard of care. Moreover, patients must keep returning for injections, another big obstacle for most of them. Finding treatments that are easier and less intrusive for patients would be a major benefit for Third World countries.” “To fight blindness globally all stakeholders must work together: nonprofit organizations like ourselves, big pharma industries, the medical and science community, and innovative R&D companies like Oxurion,” concludes Isabelle Verhaegen
Oncurious cancer research Oncurious is a joint venture between Oxurion and VIB, the leading life science research institute in Flanders, Belgium. The company is focused on development of innovative medicines for treatment of a broad spectrum of cancers. Its clinical trial with TB-403 (anti-PlGF) researches alternative treatment options for medulloblastoma, a rare life-threatening brain tumor in children. Moreover, the company is currently developing a portfolio of next-generation immuno-oncology assets.
Interview Prof. Gabriele Bergers, PhD Prof. Jo Van Ginderachter, PhD Prof. Massimiliano Mazzone, PhD
Oncurious and VIB in a unique partnership to fight cancer.
“Looking at the future of immuno-oncology therapy�
Oncurious cancer research
With the first generation of immunooncology therapies ready to hit the market, Oncurious and VIB are already looking at the future. Their partnership seeks to combine early-stage research on five novel assets. “Combining targets is a unique opportunity to offer improved next-generation immuno-oncology therapies.” This past year Oncurious concluded an agreement with VIB to acquire exclusive licenses to a portfolio of five innovative immuno-oncology assets. Those unique new targets originate from seminal work at the VIB-KU Leuven labs of Gabriele Bergers and Massimiliano Mazzone and the VIBVUB lab of Jo Van Ginderachter.
“Combined treatment models can potentially have a much better effect and reach a majority of patients.” Prof. Gabriele Bergers, PhD Head, Laboratory of Tumor Microenvironment and Therapeutic Resistance, VIB-KU Leuven Center for Cancer Biology
“Our labs all have a different focus,” explains Jo Van Ginderachter. He is head of the Immunology labs at VIB and VUB, where his team researches immunotherapies for several diseases. The VIB-KU Leuven lab of Gabriele Bergers focuses on the vascular niches of tumors, and Massimiliano Mazzone and his team at the Angiogenesis lab of VIB and KU Leuven research inflammation and angiogenesis of tumors. “We now combine our expertise for one shared goal: to find next-generation therapies in immuno-oncology,” Jo Van Ginderachter explains.
Who is Prof. Gabriele Bergers? Gabriele Bergers is a Professor of Oncology at the University of Leuven and a group leader at the VIB-KU Leuven-Center for Cancer Biology in Leuven since 2016. She has been a Professor in the Department of Neurological Surgery, and a PI in the Brain Tumor Research Center (BTRC) at the Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of California, San Francisco for more than 15 years and has remained associated with UCSF. She had received her PhD in Genetics at the Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP) and the University Vienna in Austria. She then moved to the US to pursue her postdoctoral studies on tumor angiogenesis in the laboratory of Dr. Douglas Hanahan at UCSF. She has made seminal discoveries about tumor niches regarding both the interactions among tumor cells, the vasculature, and inflammatory cell constituents in regulating neovascularization and invasion in various mouse models of brain, breast and pancreatic cancer and in revealing and understanding intrinsic and evasive resistance mechanisms of tumors to antiangiogenic therapy. Prof. Bergers has received several awards for her research, including the Sidney Kimmel, the Program for Breakthrough Biomedical Research Award, the Sandler Opportunity and the Judah Folkman award. She has been an External Advisory Board member for various universities and pharmaceutical companies, and is currently on the Editorial Board of Science.
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Oncurious cancer research
About VIB VIB is a strategic research center in life sciences and biotech. The results of VIB’s top research are actively translated into added value for society. VIB unites the expertise of 75 research groups thematically organized into 8 research centers. VIB’s technology transfer team proactively translates new biological findings into new economic activities, such as starting up new companies and partnerships with the biotech and pharmaceutical industry. Since its foundation in 1996, VIB has created 20 start-up companies. VIB also engages actively in the public debate on biotechnology by developing and disseminating a wide range of science-based information about all aspects of biotechnology. VIB has a close partnership with five Flemish universities – Ghent University, KU Leuven, University of Antwerp, Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Hasselt University. More information: www.vib.be.
Combinatory approach “In past years it has been proven that our immune system is indeed able to recognize cancer cells efficiently and perform anti-tumor activity,” says Jo Van Ginderachter. Several clinical trials of immuno-oncology therapies show excellent results and some of them are already on the market. “Those first-generation therapies, like checkpoint inhibitors that help the body recognize and attack cancer cells, have already proven successful in a subset of patients,” adds Gabriele Bergers. But many cancer patients are still not responding to the first generation of immunotherapies. “To give an example, melanomas immunotherapy is currently first in line and works very well for some 30% of patients. But what about the other 70%? Even worse is the situation for colon Perspectives
Oncurious cancer research
and pancreas cancer where the response is close to zero,” explains Massimiliano Mazzone. “That is where we want to make a difference with our unique combinatory approach.” Gabriele Bergers continues: “We will merge our labs' different strategies to merge five innovative compounds into one R&D pipeline. Combinatorial treatment modalities can potentially have a much better effect and reach a majority of patients.”
“A tumor is a very complex organ, containing not only cancer cells but also normal cells and blood vessels essential for tumor growth. We focus on that non-cancer part of the tumor.” Prof. Jo Van Ginderachter, PhD Head, Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, VUB (Vrije Universiteit Brussel), Laboratory of Myeloid Cell
Who is Prof. Jo Van Ginderachter? Jo Van Ginderachter graduated as bio-engineer at Vrije Universiteit Brussel in 1995 and obtained his PhD in the lab of Cellular and Molecular Immunology at the same university in 2002 under the supervision of Prof. Patrick De Baetselier, studying the impact of the innate and adaptive immune system on the growth and metastasis of mouse lymphoma models. He continued his postdoctoral training in Brussels funded by a competitive Prospective Research for Brussels grant, focussed on the identification of molecules on tumor-associated macrophages with a therapeutic potential. Jo Van Ginderachter became staff scientist in the Cellular and Molecular Immunology Lab in 2006, Assistant professor at VUB in 2010, Group Leader of the Myeloid Cell Immunology Lab at VIB in 2012 and Full Professor of Immunology at VUB in 2014. He is now heading the Cellular and Molecular Immunology Lab and program director of the Master of Sciences in Biomolecular Sciences at VUB.
Immunology, VIB Center for Inflammation Research
The research team notes several possible combinations. “We will investigate whether our assets can be complementary and beat cancer cells in a unique way. But they also can potentially be combined with first-generation immunotherapies like checkpoint inhibitors and offer a better outcome for patients. They could even improve conventional chemotherapy, to better reach and attack the tumor.”
Tumor as a complex organ Jo Van Ginderachter explains this novel research of the VIB-Oncurious team as focusing on the ‘non-cancer’ part of tumors: “What has been partly overlooked in the past is that a tumor is a very complex organ, not just consisting of cancer cells but also containing normal cells and blood vessels. This ‘non-cancer’ part of a tumor is critical to supporting its growth, so it too can be interesting as a therapy target.”
He is an author of 88 scientific publications and 4 book chapters and is inventor on 5 patents. He is also member of the Board of the Belgian Immunological Society and Flanders Vaccine. The mission of his lab is to use the heterogeneity of myeloid cells (monocytes, macrophages, dendritic cells) as an in vivo sensor to track inflammatory responses and as a target for therapeutic intervention, not only in cancer, but also in liver and brain diseases. Prof. Van Ginderachter became a laureate of the KVIV Student prizes and received the RimauxBartier Donation of FWO. He is an external Advisory Board member of start-up companies, organizer of several international scientific meetings, editorial board member of the journal Cancer Research and is reviewer for a multitude of journals and granting bodies (Dutch Cancer Association, Italian Cancer Association, ERC etc). Perspectives
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Oncurious cancer research
Who is Prof. Massimiliano Mazzone? Massimiliano (Max) Mazzone graduated in Medical Biotechnology at the Medical School of the University of Torino, Italy, and then performed his PhD in Cell Science and Technologies at the Institute for Cancer Research of Torino, under the supervision of Prof. Comoglio. In November 2006, he moved to Belgium as an EMBOawarded postdoctoral fellow in the lab of Prof. Peter Carmeliet, at the University of Leuven, Belgium. Since September 2009, he is heading the Lab of Tumor Inflammation and Angiogenesis, at the Center for Cancer Biology, part of the VIB in Leuven, and he is Professor in Molecular Oncology at the University of Leuven. Max Mazzone has contributed to the field of oncology understanding the mechanisms of cancer metastasis and to vascular biology identifying a new endothelial cell phenotype, the "phalanx" cell, which takes part in the formation of aligned blood vessels in perfused tissues. Since he is independent group leader, his team is focusing in studying the response of inflammatory cells to hypoxic conditions in order to restore blood flow and regulate favorably the immune response in conditions such as cancer and ischemic pathologies. Prof. Mazzone got important national awards (the Belgian Royal Academy Prize, the Italian Lorini Award, and the AIRC Price for excellence in science, the EMBO Young Investigator Award, etc.) and international recognitions (ERC-starting grant, ERC-proof-of-concept, ERC-consolidator, EMBO, FEBS, Burgen Award, etc.). He is author in 95 papers, with an average impact factor in first or senior corresponding author research papers of 21; 8,000 total citations, and an H-index of 39. He is member of the boards of several peer-reviewd journals (such as Cancer Research), he is reviewer for almost 20 journals, and he has been so far invited to speak in more than 60 conferences (including GRC, Keystone, AACR, FEBS meetings, etc.). He currently holds an ERCconsolidator grant and EMBO Young Investigator Award.
Perspectives
"Conventional therapies like chemo and radiation often delay the disease instead of killing the tumor, which provides a long-term cure,” notes Massimiliano Mazzone. “The problem is that a tumor will always find other ways to grow, so often it is just a matter of time until the cancer returns. If you can use a positive force of cells that attack the cancer cells from within, you could actually remove the disease. That is the basic idea of immunotherapy: to use the body’s own immune cells to fight cancer.” “
“With our unique merged approach, we want to make a difference for patients who do not respond to the first generation of immunotherapies.” Prof. Massimiliano Mazzone, PhD Head, Laboratory of Tumor Inflammation and Angiogenesis, VIB-KU Leuven Center for Cancer Biology
But a tumor's complex microenvironment influences immune cell activity. “A tumor can be compared to a normal functioning organ. It is programmed to survive so it will try to prevent immune cells from entering, for example by disguising itself,” says Jo Van Ginderachter. “Our goal is to find ways to work around that.”
Oncurious cancer research
Trojan horse
Collaboration as strong added value
“In essence, we want to create an immunostimulatory environment in which immune cells are able to attack cancer cells,” continues Gabriele Bergers. Her team is working on a concept to modulate the vascular system in the tumor. “We intend to create specialized blood vessels that enhance the infiltration of immune cells into the tumor.”
VIB Discovery Sciences will take the lead in these projects' preclinical development to create a new pipeline of next-generation immuno-oncology drugs. “The VIB research institute brings our labs together, yielding intense collaboration between our teams. That is a powerful added value to achieving progress in this field,” explains Jo Van Ginderachter.
“Another working part of a tumor is immunosuppression by specialized cells that downregulate the function of immune cells,” notes Jo Van Ginderachter. “Lowering that immunosuppressive activity can improve immunotherapy's working mechanism. That is what my lab is focusing on.”
“Our holistic approach looks at the concept of fighting cancer in a broad perspective. The preclinical research in these early-stage programs can lead to potential new drugs targeting a very broad spectrum of cancers. This is why the project is so exciting”, concludes Gabriele Bergers.
Massimiliano Mazzone adds: “My team's contribution is very similar. We see that tumors try to repulse the immune system, creating some type of barrier. We try to modify guidance cues and the ‘traffic lights’ inside the tumor to attract immune cells instead of repulsing them. Another way to attack tumors from the inside is reeducating specific cells called macrophages. These cells normally protect the body, but they're modified by the tumor to make it stronger. If we can reeducate them to their original function they will start to attack the cancer cells like a Trojan horse.”
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Fighting brain cancer in children
Fighting brain cancer in children
Oncurious is conducting a clinical phase I/IIa study with TB-403 (antiPlGF) to treat medulloblastoma, a rare and life-threatening brain tumor that mainly affects young children. Patient recruitment is ongoing in partnership with Beat Childhood Cancer. Medulloblastoma is the most common malignant brain tumor, accounting for 20% of all brain tumors in children. This very aggressive type of cancer affects mostly young children between 1 and 9 years of age. It presently can only be treated through surgery followed by chemotherapy, which is very toxic and administered for about one year. In some cases children must also undergo high doses of radiation. This severely affects the IQ of young children as they grow, even after they have been cured of medulloblastoma. As both therapies have very negative side effects, Oncurious detected this unmet medical need and is researching TB-403 (anti-PlGF) to offer an innovative alternative treatment. This compound is the antibody that combats placental growth factor (PlGF), which causes the brain tumor to develop in the child’s brain.
Clinical trial ongoing Preclinical studies with TB-403 have already generated very promising data. The molecule has the potential to stop tumor cells from growing, thus blocking the disease process. It is expected to be much less toxic than chemotherapy, so it could offer an alternative treatment option for children suffering from medulloblastoma without side effects on healthy tissue. A US-based phase I/IIa clinical trial with TB-403 is ongoing. Safety and tolerability of TB-403 at the maximum tolerated dose is being evaluated in pediatric subjects with relapsed or refractory medulloblastoma. The study aims to recruit 27 patients. Evaluation of the 3rd dose level (out of 4) is currently running towards its endpoint. For recruiting patients, Oncurious is partnering with Beat Childhood Cancer.
About medulloblastoma Medulloblastoma is a fast-growing, malignant, primary brain tumor. It originates in the lower rear portion of the brain called the posterior fossa that controls balance, posture, and complex motor functions like speech and balance. It is the most common form of malignant brain tumor in children, accounting for 20% of all such brain tumors. In the EU and US some 400 new patients are diagnosed annually, with boys affected twice as much as girls. The peak age of incidence is 3-5 years, and about 80% of patients are diagnosed before the age of 15. Current treatment consists of surgically removing as much of the tumor as possible, followed by craniospinal (brain and spine) radiation and/ or chemotherapy – generally in older children (>3 years). Although treatment improves survival rates, these regimens are highly toxic to the developing brains and are associated with significant morbidity. The prognosis is worse if the child is less than 3 years old, if not enough tumor was removed, or if there is any spread to other regions of the brain or body. With treatment 60-65% of children with highrisk medulloblastoma, and 80-90% of those with the disease that has not spread, can be expected to be free of the disease within 5 years. However, treatment often results in significant neurocognitive impairment in children younger than 8.
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Fighting brain cancer in children
This is a collaboration of 25 universities and children’s hospitals, headquartered at the Helen Devos Children’s Hospital, which offers a nationwide network of childhood cancer clinical trials.
Orphan drug designation In early 2017, the European Commission confirmed orphan drug designation for the Oncurious compound TB-403 for medulloblastoma. This allows a pharmaceutical company to benefit from incentives from the European Union to develop a medicine for a rare disease, such as reduced fees and protection from competition once the medicine is on the market. TB-403 is being developed by Oncurious in conjunction with BioInvent International. In July 2017, Oxurion and BioInvent amended their long-standing monoclonal antibody development agreement. In the amended agreement, BioInvent assumes project lead for development of TB-403 in all oncology indications and will increase its share in the economic value of TB-403 from 40% to 50%. Both parties will continue to share equally the costs of developing TB-403 for oncology indications.
Beat Childhood Cancer Beat Childhood Cancer (formerly known as The Neuroblastoma and Medulloblastoma Translational Research Consortium - NMTRC) is a group of 25 universities and children’s hospitals headquartered at the Helen Devos Children’s Hospital, Grand Rapids. MI, USA that offer a nationwide network of childhood cancer clinical trials. These trials are based on the research of a group of closely collaborating investigators who are linked with laboratory programs developing novel therapies for high-risk neuroblastoma and medulloblastoma.
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About Oxurion
Advancing science. Enhancing vision.
About us Oxurion at a glance Oxurion is a biopharmaceutical company developing treatments to preserve vision for patients with diseases affecting the back of the eye. It has engineered a diverse portfolio of disease-modifying drug candidates, including treatments for diabetic eye disease, a leading cause of blindness in people of working age worldwide. Oxurion owns the global rights to JETREAÂŽ (ocriplasmin), the only pharmacological vitreolysis drug approved for the treatment of symptomatic vitreomacular adhesion (in the U.S.) and vitreomacular traction (outside the U.S.). Oxurion is headquartered in Leuven, Belgium, and is listed on the NYSE Euronext Brussels exchange under the symbol OXUR.
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About Oxurion
Our team People at Oxurion Oxurion employs 75 people worldwide, all are united by a shared goal: to make Oxurion a global leader in developing and commercializing innovative treatments for chronic eye disorders. Most members of the Company's international team hold a master’s or PhD degree. The majority work at our headquarters in Leuven (Belgium) or from our office in New Jersey (U.S.). Each member of the Oxurion team provides a distinct viewpoint and set of experiences in the biopharmaceutical industry. The diversity and experience of the team stimulates creativity and problem-solving while enabling the company to successfully develop and commercialize therapeutics to preserve the vision of patients worldwide.
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About Oxurion
Management Team Our management team's expertise and experience in research, clinical development, commercialization and financing ensure the Company's long-term success. The Executive Committee sets the Company's vision and strategy, which the full management team then plans and executes. CEO Patrik De Haes, MD and CFO Dominique Vanfleteren oversee the Company's daily management.
Patrik De Haes, MD, Chief Executive Officer Patrik De Haes, MD, has over 25 years of experience in the global healthcare industry in product development, marketing and general management. Before joining Oxurion as CEO in 2008, Patrik was head of Roche’s Global Insulin Infusion division. Prior to that he was President and CEO of Disetronic Medical Systems Inc., a medical device company based in Minneapolis, USA. He also led the global development and commercialization of the first biotech product at Sandoz Pharma (now Novartis) in Switzerland. Patrik holds a degree in Medicine from the University of Leuven.
Dominique Vanfleteren, Chief Financial Officer Dominique Vanfleteren has over 25 years of experience in senior finance, operational, control and reporting roles in quoted international biopharmaceutical companies. Before joining Oxurion, Dominique spent 12 years at UCB, a global biopharmaceutical company, where he held a number of international managerial finance positions, the latest in Brussels and Shanghai as CFO of UCB’s Asia Pacific Operations. Prior to UCB he worked for GSK for 16 years in senior finance positions in Brussels and London, the latest as Finance Director of GSK’s Diversified Healthcare Services Europe. Dominique holds a bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering and a master's in Applied Economics (UCL).
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About Oxurion
Board of Directors The Company is led by a collegiate Board of Directors which is the Company’s most senior administrative body. The Board of Directors decides upon the Company’s values and strategy, upon its willingness to take risks and upon the general policy plan. The Board of Directors currently consists of six members.
Paul G. Howes Non-Executive Director Emmanuèle Attout (Investea SPRL) Non-Executive, Independent Director Thomas Clay, Chairman Non-Executive, Independent Director Patrik De Haes, MD, CEO (ViBio BVBA) Executive Director
Baron Philippe Vlerick Non-Executive, Independent Director David Guyer, MD Non-Executive Director
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About Oxurion
Shareholders information Listing
Paying agent services
Oxurion is listed on the Eurolist by Euronext Brussels under the symbol OXUR.
KBC Bank acts as paying agent, meaning it does not charge shareholders for dividend payments, exercise of subscription rights, and other events concerning Oxurion’ shares. Shareholders should investigate what other financial intermediaries might charge for paying agent services.
Investor relations Our investor relations policy includes: • Providing reliable, accurate, and valuable information in a timely manner to help shareholders make informed decisions • Full transparency • Operating within the Company’s policies and adhering to relevant security laws and regulations • Strengthening our dialogue with the investment community • Providing access to the senior management team
Shareholding structure As of 5 January 2018, Oxurion has a total number of 38,271,575 outstanding shares and a total number of 848,875 outstanding warrants. Shareholder
Mr Thomas M. Clay and entities controlled by him Mrs Lavinia D. Clay Baron Philippe Vlerick and entities controlled by him Novartis Pharma AG Public
% of voting rights
4.68% 4.10% 6.07% 5.69% 79,46%
Financial calendar Date
event
6 Sep 2018 19 Oct 2018
Half Year Results 2018 Business Update Q3 2018
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About Oxurion
Contact information Corporate HQ Oxurion nv Gaston Geenslaan 1 B-3001 Leuven Belgium T +32 (0) 16 75 13 10 F +32 (0) 16 75 13 11 info@oxurion.com
USA ThromboGenics, Inc. - subsidiary of Oxurion nv 101 Wood Avenue South, Suite 610 Iselin, NJ 08830 USA T +1 732 590 2900 F +1 855 301 1600 info@oxurion.com
Contact Information Wouter Piepers Global Head of Corporate Communications & Investor Relations Oxurion Gaston Geenslaan 1 B-3001 Heverlee Belgium T +32 (0) 16 75 13 10 M +32 478 33 56 32 F +32 16 75 14 66 wouter.piepers@oxurion.com www.oxurion.com
Creation & Copywriting Cantilis www.cantilis.be
2018
PERSPECTIVES 2018
FOCUS ON NOVEL TREATMENTS TO COMBAT VISION LOSS
An aspiring new name to reflect our focus and ambition
Developing novel drugs through collaboration and strong science
Unlocking global business opportunities for JETREA®
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