Curetis Acquires Patents and Rights to Genetic Antibiotic Resistance and Susceptibility (GEAR) Database and Know-How from Siemens
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Curetis Acquires Patents and Rights to Genetic Antibiotic Resistance and
Susceptibility (GEAR) Database and Know-How from Siemens
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The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
- Agreement gives Curetis worldwide rights to database and IP based on Next
Generation Sequencing
- GEAR significantly enhances Curetis' leading position in the area of genetic
antimicrobial resistance biomarker testing
Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and Holzgerlingen, Germany, September 7, 2016 --
Curetis N.V. (the "Company" and, together with Curetis GmbH, "Curetis"), a
developer of next-level molecular diagnostic solutions, today announced the
signing of an asset acquisition agreement with the Siemens Technology
Accelerator GmbH (STA). Under the terms of the agreement, Curetis has acquired
sole commercial rights from STA to the GEAR GEnetic Antibiotic Resistance and
Susceptibility platform and database with all its content, numerous GEAR-related
patents and patent applications, as well as all corresponding know-how. The deal
gives Curetis sole worldwide product development and commercial rights,
including the right to sublicense in the fields of human and animal diagnostics
as well as food safety testing. Furthermore, Curetis has secured the sole rights
to leverage the GEAR assets in collaboration with pharmaceutical companies for
the development of novel antimicrobial drugs for human and animal health.
As consideration for these assets, STA will receive an undisclosed upfront
payment from Curetis. Furthermore, Curetis will make undisclosed milestone
payments for products including GEAR biomarkers upon first CE IVD marking and
first FDA approval (or similar regulatory clearance), respectively. Also, there
will be royalty payments to STA in industry-typical percentage ranges on future
products based on use of the GEAR platform or GEAR biomarkers. Further financial
details were not disclosed.
The state-of-the-art GEAR bioinformatics platform and database was developed and
compiled in collaboration with two academic partners: The Institute of Clinical
Molecular Biology (IKMB) at Kiel University that carried out the next generation
sequencing (NGS) of bacterial isolates and the Clinical Bioinformatics Group of
Saarland University headed by Prof. Dr. Andreas Keller that developed the
bioinformatics platform and performed the computational analysis of 30 Terabyte
of data underlying the GEAR database. GEAR allows users to assemble and annotate
bacterial genomes from NGS raw data, identify genetic variations in those
genomes and correlate those with the response of the respective bacterial strain
to antibiotics. Currently, the GEAR database contains the entire DNA sequences
as well as sensitivity data for 21 antibiotics of more than 11,000 bacterial
strains isolated from patient samples across the world over the last three
decades. It will allow Curetis to rapidly identify potential novel biomarkers,
biomarker combinations, and algorithms predicting antibiotic resistance, as well
as potential novel targets for antimicrobial drugs.
The acquisition of the GEAR database and patent estate adds significantly to the
leadership position that Curetis has established in the area of genetic
antimicrobial resistance biomarker testing with its Unyvero Application
Cartridges. Curetis will further expand and mine the GEAR database in
collaboration with leading academic institutions as well as pharmaceutical and
diagnostics companies and leverage those into commercial products on its Unyvero
Molecular Diagnostics platform and beyond.
"We are thrilled to have won in the competitive bidding process for this unique
and exciting asset," said Dr. Achim Plum, Chief Commercial Officer of Curetis.
"With this platform, we are planning to build a network of strong and
collaborative relationships with academics, clinicians and companies in the
fields of diagnostics and pharmaceuticals alike. We will develop this repository
into a valuable resource of antibiotic resistance biomarkers available to the
global research community, while leveraging the proprietary nature of GEAR into
our own Unyvero products and platform in the future."
Oliver Schacht, CEO of Curetis, added, "Since our IPO, we have diligently
executed on our commercial and product development plans. At the same time, we
have kept our eyes open for strategic opportunities such as the GEAR
acquisition. GEAR allows us to significantly expand the scale and scope of the
Unyvero platform and complement it with NGS-based knowledge. GEAR will become an
engine for even more comprehensive and differentiated content of antibiotic
resistance biomarkers in our Unyvero products and allow us to stay on top of the
development of cutting-edge molecular diagnostic products for critical hospital
infections."
Prof. Keller, one of the initiators of the project, highlighted the broad and
unique character of GEAR: "The more than 11,000 whole bacterial genomes
collected over three decades and across many countries in combination with
culture-based phenotypic resistance profiles against 21 drugs enabled us to
investigate multivariate genetic resistance mechanisms in a very comprehensive
manner". Prof. Keller also underlined that Curetis is a perfect partner for
commercialization of tests for antibiotic resistance derived from GEAR: "We are
convinced of the success of genetic antibiotic resistance tests and committed to
support Curetis in their endeavor to improve care for patients suffering from
bacterial infections"
About the GEAR Database and Assets:
The GEAR database includes genomic data of mostly Gram negative bacteria causing
pneumonia, bloodstream infections, urinary tract infections, and gastric and
wound infections. Samples were carefully selected across multiple geographies
(USA, EU, Asia) and have been collected over three decades to reflect resistance
development and variability over time. Sample collection was done at over 200
sites on 5 continents, with over 150 US institutes contributing. In addition to
many of the most troublesome Gram negative bacteria, GEAR also includes S.
aureus, demonstrating feasibility also for Gram positive bacteria.
Sample collection was designed to achieve significant statistical power with
over 10,000 Gram negative bacterial strains and ca. 1,000 S. aureus (both MSSA
and MRSA) strains tested. Overall, 21 antibiotic drugs in 182 different
concentrations with all modes of action for resistance were tested for. Most
commonly used drugs have been chosen by the former Siemens Microbiology
Department. Antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST) reference methods as per
CLSI (Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute) guidelines were used and
results interpreted according to EUCAST (European Committee on Antimicrobial
Susceptibility Testing) guidelines. Seven out of nine combinations of bacteria
and antibiotics identified as being of international concern by the WHO were
analyzed in detail. Individual patent filings have been made for each bacteria
for all antibiotics as well as certain method and process patents.
Next generation sequencing (NGS) was performed at one of the leading German
Sequencing Centers (IKMB Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology in Kiel) on
HiSeq 2000 and HiSeq 2500 Sequencers with over 300 Mio bases sequenced per
sample. Taken together, 4 billion reads with 0.4 trillion bases were sequenced.
Advanced bioinformatics approaches developed by the group of Prof. Dr. Andreas
Keller, Chair for Clinical Bioinformatics, Saarland University, were employed to
combine NGS results with AST data to identify potential novel and proprietary
antibiotic resistance biomarkers and biomarker combinations.
GEAR enables a wide range of valuable clinical applications such as better
genetic resistance testing for specific drug classes, broader syndromic
resistance biomarker panels, and, in the future, potentially fully genetic
antibiograms. It therefore can provide unique content for high-, medium-, and
low-plexed MDx platforms.
Disclaimer
CAUTION - Investigational device. Limited by Federal (or United States) law to
investigational use. The information contained in this communication does not
constitute nor imply an offer to sell or transfer any product, and no product
based on the Curetis Unyvero technology is currently available for sale in the
United States of America or Canada. The analytical and clinical performance
characteristics of any Curetis Unyvero product which may be sold at some future
point in time in the U.S. have not yet been established.
###
About Curetis
Founded in 2007, Curetis is a molecular diagnostics company which focuses on the
development and commercialization of reliable, fast and cost-effective products
for diagnosing severe infectious diseases. The diagnostic solutions of Curetis
enable rapid multi-parameter pathogen and antibiotic resistance marker detection
in only a few hours, a process that today can take up to days or even weeks with
other techniques.
To date, Curetis has raised EUR 44.3 million in an IPO on Euronext Amsterdam and
Euronext Brussels and private equity funds of over EUR 63.5 million. The company
is based in Holzgerlingen near Stuttgart, Germany. Curetis has signed
collaboration agreements with Heraeus Medical and Cempra Inc. as well as several
international distribution agreements covering many countries across Europe, the
Middle East and Asia.
For further information, please visit www.curetis.com.
Legal Disclaimer
This document constitutes neither an offer to buy nor to subscribe securities
and neither this document nor any part of it should form the basis of any
investment decision in Curetis.
The information contained in this press release has been carefully prepared.
However, Curetis bears and assumes no liability of whatever kind for the
correctness and completeness of the information provided herein. Curetis does
not assume an obligation of whatever kind to update or correct information
contained in this press release whether as a result of new information, future
events or for other reasons.
This press release includes statements that are, or may be deemed to be,
"forward-looking statements". These forward-looking statements can be identified
by the use of forward-looking terminology, including the terms "believes",
"estimates", "anticipates", "expects", "intends", "may", "will", or "should",
and include statements Curetis makes concerning the intended results of its
strategy. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risks and
uncertainties and readers are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements
are not guarantees of future performance. Curetis' actual results may differ
materially from those predicted by the forward-looking statements. Curetis
undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking
statements, except as may be required by law.
Contact details
Curetis
Max-Eyth-Str. 42
71088 Holzgerlingen, Germany
Tel. +49 7031 49195-10
pr(at)curetis.com or ir(at)curetis.com
www.curetis.com - www.unyvero.com
International Media & Investor Inquiries
akampion
Dr. Ludger Wess / Ines-Regina Buth
Managing Partners
info(at)akampion.com
Tel. +49 40 88 16 59 64
Tel. +49 30 23 63 27 68
U.S. Media & Investor Inquiries
The Ruth Group
Lee Roth
lroth(at)theruthgroup.com
Tel. +1 646 536 7012
20160907_Siemens_GEAR_Curetis_Deal_PR_EN_FINAL:
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Source: Curetis via GlobeNewswire
Unternehmensinformation / Kurzprofil:
Datum: 07.09.2016 - 16:07 Uhr
Sprache: Deutsch
News-ID 493353
Anzahl Zeichen: 13240
contact information:
Town:
Holzgerlingen
Kategorie:
Business News
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