BioInvent Enters into Third Research Collaboration with University of Southampton

Regulatory News:

BioInvent International (STO:BINV) today announces a three-year research collaboration with the University of Southampton (UoS), one of the world’s leading antibody research groups, under the direction of Professor Mark Cragg, BSc, PhD, Professor of Experimental Cancer Research and Director of the Cancer Pathway Integrated Postgraduate Programme.

The collaboration, also involving Professor Martin Glennie and Dr Stephen Beers is aimed at developing new immunotherapy treatments for cancer by targeting regulatory T cells (T regs). The program builds on the clinical successes of antibodies to so called T cell checkpoint inhibitors. The collaboration aims to develop novel antibodies and targets that are more specific for the cancer-associated T regs.

This collaboration is separate from two existing research programs in place between the University of Southampton and BioInvent.

Terms of the collaboration are not disclosed, noting that BioInvent will have the option to license any promising results for further development and commercialization. Under the agreement, both parties will contribute to intellectual property generation.

BioInvent has the capacity, through the F.I.R.S.T.™ platform, to generate a large number of T cell depleting antibodies. UoS has unique capabilities to test and evaluate potential lead candidates in several advanced in vitro and in vivo models. The collaboration between BioInvent and UoS around n-CoDeR® antibodies targeting human T regs for cancer therapy utilizes the strengths from both groups.

Professor Cragg commented, "We look forward to building on the strength of our collaborative relationship with BioInvent, which should allow us to remain at the cutting edge of antibody immunotherapy for the benefit of cancer patients worldwide. Both clinical and preclinical data suggests that depletion of T regs can result in efficient anti-tumor T cell responses and tumor eradication. However, current T cell targeting therapeutic antibodies and checkpoint inhibitors were developed based on their abilities to block inhibitory signals. Novel, as yet unidentified targets with broad expression on regulatory T cells in different cancers, such as melanoma, lung cancer etc. and antibody formats with superior T reg depleting activity may have greater activity. We look forward to working with BioInvent’s extensive antibody library and its novel targeting platform to establish several lead candidates for clinical development in this very important area of cancer research.”

"We are especially pleased to be undertaking this additional research collaboration with the team at the University of Southampton. This esteemed research center and its renowned clinicians are experts in the fields of immunology and oncology and are at the forefront of unlocking the potential of therapeutic antibodies,” said Björn Frendéus, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer of BioInvent and honorary Professor at the University of Southampton. "BioInvent’s phenotypic target and mAb discovery platform, F.I.R.S.T.™, are ideally suited to identify a great diversity of human mAb with cancer T reg depleting or modulating activity. In collaboration with our colleagues in Southampton, we aim to generate more efficacious and safer immune modulatory antibodies for cancer treatments.”

To the editors:

About T Regs There are several check-point mechanisms to prevent the immune system from causing harmful attacks on self-tissue. In cancer patients, this is detrimental, since it impedes the development of a beneficial anti-tumor immune response. One of the most powerful mechanisms is the immune suppression mediated by regulatory T cells (T regs). Since the first observations of a population of naturally occurring T cells with a capacity to inhibit other T cell responses, their regulatory potency has been explored in various research fields, including cancer, autoimmunity, infection and transplantation. Through specific targeting of these master regulators of the adaptive immune response, the aim is to develop therapies with efficacy and safety beyond currently available check-point inhibitors.

About BioInvent

BioInvent International AB is a research-based pharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of innovative antibody-based drugs against cancer.

The company has unique expertise in antibody drug development from initial concept to late clinical phase. The screening tool, F.I.R.S.T.TM, and the antibody library, n-CoDeR®, are two patented tools that enable identification of relevant human antibodies and disease targets during the discovery phase. BioInvent has also considerable experience in and a facility for process development and production of antibodies for clinical studies. The scope and strength of this platform is also used to develop antibody-based drugs in collaboration with partners who finance the development of the new drug, and provide BioInvent with the right to milestone payments and royalties on sales. These partners include Bayer Pharma, Daiichi Sankyo, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma, Servier and Xoma. More information is available at www.bioinvent.com.

About University of Southampton Through world-leading research and enterprise activities, the University of Southampton connects with businesses to create real-world solutions to global issues. Through its educational offering, it works with partners around the world to offer relevant, flexible education, which trains students for jobs not even thought of. This connectivity is what sets Southampton apart from the rest; we make connections and change the world. http://www.southampton.ac.uk/

BioInvent International AB (publ) Co. reg. No. 556537-7263 Visiting address: Sölvegatan 41 Mailing address: 223 70 LUND Phone: +46 (0)46 286 85 50 info@bioinvent.com www.bioinvent.com

The press release contains statements about the future, consisting of subjective assumptions and forecasts for future scenarios. Predictions for the future only apply as the date they are made and are, by their very nature, in the same was as research and development work in the biotech segment, associated with risk and uncertainty. With this in mind, the actual outcome may deviate significantly from the scenarios described in this press release.

Information disclosed in this press release is provided herein pursuant to the Swedish Financial Instruments Trading Act. The information was submitted for publication at 8.40 a.m. CET, on 1 June, 2015.

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