UCB partner gets EU grant for anti-angiogenesis programme

BioInvent, a drug development partner of UCB, has, together with ThromboGenics, received a grant of two million euros (1.35 million pounds) from the European Union to jointly develop a new class of anti-angiogenesis agents.

It reports that this treatment will be founded on antibodies against placental growth factor (PIGF) and support the companies’ previous research that began in 2004 following a partnershop agreement.

The research will comprise of academic groups from across Europe, including Cardiff University in the UK, as well as institutions in Belgium and Germany.

Svein Mathisen, chief executive officer and president of BioInvent, said: “The support from the European Community should be seen as recognition of the importance and significance of our combined anti-PIGF programme.”

He added that it was “encouraging” that the programme was receiving such financial support from the EU and noted that the resulting products from the research could potentially be used to develop new treatments for a number of conditions.

BioInvent develops antibody pharmaceuticals in a number of spheres, including thrombosis, cancer and HIV infection among others. Its drug discovery technology platform is used by a number of its partners, including UCB.

In October, UCB announced that it had expanded its product licensing partnership with Jazz Pharmaceuticals for Xyrem (sodium oxybate), a potential treatment for fibromyalgia syndrome.