ThromboGenics and BioInvent Announce Publication of Exciting Data on a Novel Class of Angiogenesis Inhibito...( LEUVEN Belgium and LUND Sweden No...)

LEUVEN, Belgium and LUND, Sweden, November 2 /PRNewswire/ --

- Novel Anti-PlGF Antibody, TB-403, Being Developed by ThromboGenics and BioInvent for Cancer Expected to Enter the Clinic Later This Year

ThromboGenics NV (Euronext Brussels: THR), a biotechnology company focused on vascular disease, and co-development partner, BioInvent International (Nordic Exchange: BINV), announce today the publication of data in Cell(1) that highlight for the first time the therapeutic potential of anti-PlGF agents to treat cancer based on research performed at the University of Leuven, Belgium and the Flanders Institute for Biotechnology (VIB). The data published in Cell show that antibodies against PlGF (placental growth factor) can inhibit cancer tumour growth and the development of metastases in preclinical models, without affecting healthy tissues. These attractive properties are due to PIGF inhibitors acting by blocking the formation of new blood vessels only in the cancer tissue.

ThromboGenics and BioInvent have made the decision to advance their lead anti-PIGF monoclonal antibody, TB-403, into the clinic, and expect to start the first Phase I clinical trial by the end of 2007.

In particular, preclinical data showed that anti-PlGF antibodies could:

- Inhibit tumour growth and the development occurrence of tumour metastases

- Inhibit tumour growth with a distinct but complementary mechanism to currently available anti-angiogenic therapy

- Not induce resistance because it does not evoke an "angiogenic rescue" by the tumour, in contrast to current angiogenesis inhibitors

- Enhance the sensitivity of tumours to anti-VEGF

- Amplify anti-tumour effect of chemotherapy

- Not cause or aggravate the typical side effects of anti-angiogenic antibodies when given as combination therapy.

Therefore, anti-PlGF antibodies, such as TB-403, potentially have an improved efficacy/toxicity profile that would be expected to inh
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