October 27, 2010
Trifunctional antibody Removab® from Fresenius Biotech awarded Galenus von Pergamon Prize for drug innovation
The trifunctional antibody Removab® (Catumaxomab) from Fresenius Biotech was awarded this year's Galenus von Pergamon Prize in the "Specialist Care" category. The jury acknowledged Removab®'s new therapeutic mechanism and medical relevance for the treatment of malignant ascites. The prize underlines Removab®'s unique position among innovative oncology drugs. The Galenus von Pergamon Prize awarded by "Springer Medizin Ärzte Zeitung" honors research and innovative drug development in Germany. An independent jury awards the prize annually in the "Primary Care" category and in the "Specialist Care" category. This year's awards ceremony was held on October 21.
Dr. Christian Schetter, CEO of Fresenius Biotech: "Winning the Galenus von Pergamon Prize is a significant recognition of our work. The trifunctional antibody Removab® offers not only a new approach to cancer treatment, it also significantly improves our patients' quality of life. We are currently preparing studies to investigate the antibody's effectiveness in the treatment of other indications as well as for intravenous administration."
Removab®, with its trifunctional mode of action, represents the first of a new generation of antibodies. Removab® binds to three different cell types simultaneously: One arm of the antibody binds to the EpCAM (epithelial cell adhesion molecule) antigen in carcinoma cells, another arm binds to the CD3 molecule of T cells, and the third binds to the intact Fc region of accessory immune effector cells (such as macrophages, monocytes, dendritic cells and natural killer cells). This simultaneous binding subsequently results in the mutual stimulation and activation of T cells and accessory cells, enabling the generation of a stronger immune response and destruction of cancer cells that are the main cause of ascites.
Removab® has been available in the European Union for treatment of malignant ascites since April 2009. Catumaxomab (Removab®) is a trifunctional antibody developed by TRION Pharma GmbH. Fresenius Biotech is responsible for the clinical development, approval and commercialization of Removab®.
Fresenius is a health care group with international operations, providing products and services for dialysis, hospital and outpatient medical care. In 2009, Group sales were approximately €14.2 billion. On June 30, 2010 the Fresenius Group had 133.197 employees worldwide. For more information visit the Company's website at www.fresenius.com.
Fresenius Biotech, a company of the Fresenius health care group, is focused on the development, marketing and commercialization of biopharmaceuticals in the fields of oncology and transplantation medicine. Fresenius Biotech is a German company with headquarters in Munich. For more information please visit www.fresenius-biotech.com.
This release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to various risks and uncertainties. Future results could differ materially from those described in these forward-looking statements due to certain factors, e.g. changes in business, economic and competitive conditions, regulatory reforms, results of clinical trials, foreign exchange rate fluctuations, uncertainties in litigation or investigative proceedings, and the availability of financing. Fresenius does not undertake any responsibility to update the forward-looking statements in this release.
Board of Management: Dr. Ulf M. Schneider (President and CEO), Rainer Baule, Dr. Francesco De Meo, Dr. Jürgen Götz, Dr. Ben Lipps, Stephan Sturm, Dr. Ernst Wastler
Supervisory Board: Dr. Gerd Krick (Chairman)
Registered Office: Bad Homburg, Germany/Commercial Register No. HRB 10660