Servier and Hybrigenics extend partnership to discover new drugs which inhibit Ubiquitin-Specific Proteases (USPs)

PARIS, 28-1-2015 — /EuropaWire/ — Hybrigenics (ALHYG), a bio-pharmaceutical company listed on the Alternext market of Euronext Paris, with a focus on research and development of new treatments for proliferative diseases, today announces the extension of its partnership with Servier to discover new drugs which inhibit Ubiquitin-Specific Proteases (USPs).

This partnership was initiated in October 2011 (see Hybrigenics’ press release of October 10, 2011). A first research milestone has been reached one year ago in the field of oncology (see Hybrigenics’ press release of January 20, 2014). The overall work and achievement have already given rise to total cumulated revenues of close to EUR 4.3 million for Hybrigenics.

The results obtained as of today reinforce our confidence in one USP as a target of interest against certain cancers and justify the research extension for one year, with an additional amount of EUR 0.92 million committed to Hybrigenics.

“We are very pleased to extend our partnership with Hybrigenics and to be associated with a cutting-edge research on a first-in-class mechanism of anticancer action. This collaboration with our scientists begins to bear fruits in a very innovative and promising field of research,” said Jean-Pierre Abastado, Head of Therapeutic Innovation in Oncology at Servier.

“The extension for at least one more year of our collaboration is the proof of Servier’s confidence in Hybrigenics’ know-how in the field of USPs applied to drug discovery against cancer,” said Remi Delansorne, Hybrigenics’ CEO.

About deubiquitinylating enzymes (DUBs) and ubiquitin-specific proteases (USPs)
Ubiquitins are small intracellular regulatory peptides which, when “stuck” by ligases to proteins, “label” them for destruction by the proteasome, the protein “shredder” present in each living cell. The role of DUBs is to remove ubiquitins from proteins, preventing them from degradation: DUBs are “protein-recycling” enzymes. The class of USPs is part of the wider family of DUBs. Some USPs can recycle oncoproteins, the proteins involved in cancer initiation or progression. Inhibiting such USPs results in the forced degradation of oncoproteins and therefore in a totally new mechanism of anticancer action.

About Servier
Servier is an independent French pharmaceutical research company. Its development is based on the continuous pursuit of innovation in the therapeutic areas of cardiovascular-, metabolic-, neurologic-, psychiatric-, bone- and joint diseases as well as cancer. In 2014, the company recorded a turnover of 4 billion euros. 92% of Servier drugs are consumed outside of France. 28% of turnover from Servier drugs were reinvested in Research and Development in 2014. With a strong international presence in 146 countries, Servier employs more than 21 400 people worldwide.
More information is available at: www.servier.com

About Hybrigenics
Hybrigenics (www.hybrigenics.com) is a bio-pharmaceutical group listed (ALHYG) on the Alternext market of Euronext Paris, focusing its internal R&D programs on innovative targets and therapies for the treatment of proliferative diseases and providing cutting-edge proteomic and genomic scientific services.

Hybrigenics’ current development program is based on inecalcitol, a vitamin D receptor agonist active by oral administration. Oral inecalcitol has shown excellent tolerance and strong presumption of efficacy for the first-line treatment of metastastic castrate-resistant prostate cancer in combination with Taxotere®, which is the current gold-standard chemotherapeutic treatment for this indication. Inecalcitol has also been tested in chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients, an indication for which inecalcitol has received orphan drug status in Europe and the United States. A clinical Phase II study of inecalcitol is currently ongoing in chronic myeloid leukemia patients.

Hybrigenics has a research collaboration with Servier on deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs) and their inhibitors in oncology, neurology, psychiatry, rheumatology, ophthalmology, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. A first milestone has been achieved in a drug discovery program targeting one DUB in oncology. Hybrigenics Services (www.hybrigenics-services.com) is the market leader in Yeast Two-Hybrid (Y2H) and related services to identify, validate and inhibit protein interactions for researchers in all areas of life sciences, using its ISO 9001-certified high-throughput Y2H screening platform.

Helixio (www.helixio.com), Hybrigenics’ genomic branch, provides state-of-the-art services specialized in DNA chips, DNA or RNA target enrichment and next generation sequencing with an Illumina NextSeq500.

Hybrigenics Corp., based in Cambridge, Mass., is the American subsidiary of Hybrigenics.

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HYBRIGENICS is listed on the Alternext market of Euronext Paris
ISIN: FR0004153930
Ticker: ALHYG
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CONTACT

Servier
Communication Department
Tel. : +33 (0)1 55 72 60 37 presse@servier.fr

Hybrigenics
Rémi Delansorne
CEO
Tel. : +33 (0)1 58 10 38 00
investors@hybrigenics.com

NewCap.
Financial communication
Julien Perez / Pierre Laurent
Tel. : +33 (0)1 44 71 94 94
hybrigenics@newcap.fr