Tag: AllerR
Company News: Anergis Granted U.S. Patent for Ragweed Allergy Vaccine AllerR
– Anergis receives notice of allowance from U.S. Patent Office for patent on ultra-fast treatment for ragweed allergies
Anergis, a company developing proprietary ultra-fast allergy vaccines, today announced that it received a notice of allowance from the U.S. patent authorities for its patent covering composition and methods of use of its ragweed allergy product AllerR. AllerR is based on Anergis´ unique Contiguous Overlapping Peptide (COP) platform. COPs are pharmaceutical-grade, long-peptide immunotherapeutics designed for an ultra-fast, safe and long-lasting treatment of allergy patients.
Ragweed pollen is believed to be the most allergenic of all pollens. Allergies to ragweed pollen are mostly prevalent in the USA, where they affect an estimated 27 million patients, with a high degree of severity in many of them. Among others, ragweed allergies are a major cause of asthma. Fifty percent (50%) of allergic patients in the United States are sensitized to ragweed.
Company News: Anergis Closes Series B Financing Round Totaling CHF 14.5 Million
– Two U.S.-based family offices join as new investors
– All Series A investors participate in the round
Anergis, a company developing proprietary ultra-fast allergy vaccines, today announced the closing of a Series B financing round totaling CHF 14.5 million (€ 12.1 million, US$ 15 million). All Series A investors participated in the round together with new private European and U.S.-based investors. The financing was jointly led by existing investors Sunstone Capital, BioMedInvest and Renaissance PME as well as new investor WJFS, Inc. Anergis has so far raised a total of CHF 44 million in private equity, which includes the latest Series B financing round.
The funds will be used to advance Anergis´ birch allergy vaccine AllerT closer to market. The company is currently preparing the Phase III clinical trial program of AllerT. Anergis has already demonstrated the rapid and long-lasting clinical efficacy of AllerT in two subsequent field-based clinical Phase II trials. The funds will also be used to advance the AllerR ragweed allergy program towards clinical testing, as well as to research and discover undisclosed new Contiguous Overlapping Peptide (COP) allergy vaccines.
Company News: Anergis Closes Financing Round Totaling CHF 8 M
– Preparation of Phase III trials with lead allergy vaccine AllerT
– Field-based, long-term efficacy milestone in patients from the AllerT Phase IIb trial coming up
Anergis, a company discovering and developing proprietary allergy vaccines, today announced the closing of a financing round totaling CHF 8 million. The financing was fully subscribed by existing investors and directors and was co-lead by Sunstone Capital, BioMedInvest and Renaissance PME/Vinci Capital.
Anergis will use the proceeds to further advance the clinical development of its lead product AllerT, a vaccine to treat birch pollen allergy, and to advance two additional vaccine candidates against house dust mite and ragweed allergies. For AllerT, the funds will specifically allow the preparation of Phase III trials and the conduct of a long-term efficacy follow-up trial of patients who participated in the recently completed field-based Phase II study. The results from this second follow-up season are expected to be available in the third quarter of 2014.
Company News: Anergis Reports Positive Phase IIb Data for Birch Pollen Allergy Vaccine AllerT
– AllerT 50 μg meets primary and secondary endpoints
– Vaccine improves quality of life and symptom scores
Anergis, a company focusing on proprietary allergy vaccines, reported today that a Phase IIb study of its lead compound AllerT met the primary endpoint of reducing the combined symptom and medication score with AllerT 50 μg during the birch pollen season. Moreover, the vaccine improved the quality of life and symptom scores with AllerT 50 μg and AllerT 100 μg. AllerT is a birch pollen allergy vaccine derived from the company´s proprietary Contiguous Overlapping Peptide (COP) technology platform, which is designed to provide ultra-fast allergy desensitization after only two months of treatment.
In a placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized multicenter trial, a total of 240 patients from 24 trial centers in Switzerland, France, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Sweden and Denmark were divided into three groups (placebo, AllerT 50 μg and AllerT 100 μg, respectively). From November 2012 to March 2013, the patients received 5 injections over a period of 2 months as a pre-seasonal treatment.
During the subsequent 2013 birch pollen season, compared to the placebo group, the combined Rhinoconjunctivitis Symptom and Medication Score (RSMS, primary endpoint) was reduced by 30% (p=0.024, statistically significant) with AllerT 50 μg and by 19% (p=0.190, not statistically significant) with AllerT 100 μg. Both AllerT doses were associated with similar statistically significant improvements in the total score of the Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (Mini-RQLQ) and in the rhinoconjunctivitis symptom score throughout the birch pollen season. All other secondary endpoints showed similar efficacy trends.
AllerT was safe and well-tolerated throughout the two-month pre-seasonal treatment. Most adverse events were mild or moderate, resolved within 24 hours, and there were no reports of anaphylactic shock or grade 3 allergic reactions within 30 minutes following any of the injections.
COP vaccines can be applied to a broad variety of allergy indications. Besides AllerT for the treatment of birch pollen allergies, Anergis´ COP allergy vaccine pipeline currently includes AllerR for ragweed pollen allergies and AllerDM for dust mite allergies.