19th Apr 2007 13:00
BTG PLC19 April 2007 BTG signs agreement with Novacea and KuDOS for AQ4N London, UK, 19 April 2007: BTG plc (LSE: BGC), the medical innovations company,today announces that it has signed an agreement with Novacea, Inc. (Novacea) andKuDOS Pharmaceuticals Ltd (KuDOS), a wholly owned subsidiary of AstraZeneca UKLtd, regarding the anti-cancer pro-drug AQ4N. Under the terms of the agreement, BTG will receive a signature fee and Novaceagains additional rights to AQ4N, so that it now has exclusive worldwide rightsto develop and commercialise AQ4N. BTG is also entitled to future milestone androyalty payments. In 2002, BTG licensed AQ4N to KuDOS, which in 2003 licensed North Americanrights to AQ4N to Novacea. Louise Makin, BTG's chief executive officer, commented: "We are pleased withthis agreement and with Novacea's commitment to the continued development ofthis promising cancer agent." John P. Walker, interim chief executive officer of Novacea, said: "We arepleased to have reached agreement with AstraZeneca and BTG on acquiring theworldwide rights for AQ4N. The extensive pre-clinical and clinical datagenerated to date gives us confidence in the significant opportunity AQ4Npresents as an anti-cancer agent in multiple tumour types and haematologicalmalignancies. As reported this week at the American Association for CancerResearch, investigators presented new and important pre-clinical evidence thatAQ4N in combination with mitoxantrone is able to permeate deeply within alltumour types and selectively accumulates in hypoxic tumour cells. This agreementwill allow us to manage all strategic development and resource decisions insupport of AQ4N." About AQ4N AQ4N is a novel, tumour-selective pro-drug with potential applicability tomultiple tumour types, both in combination with a number of chemotherapeuticagents and as a monotherapy for haematological malignancies. AQ4N is an inert,oxidised derivative of AQ4, a well-characterised Topoisomerase II inhibitorwhich exhibits potent cytotoxicity comparable to other marketed Topoisomerase IIinhibitors such as Novantrone(R) (mitoxantrone) and Adriamycin(R) (doxorubicin).In November 2006, Novacea initiated a multi-centre Phase 1b/2a open-labelclinical study of AQ4N in combination with radiotherapy and temozolomide inpatients who were newly diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). For further information contact: BTG Financial Dynamics Andy Burrows, Director of Investor Relations Ben Atwell/Anna Keeble +44 (0)20 7575 1741; mobile: +44 (0)7990 530605 +44 (0)20 7831 3113 Christine Soden, Chief Financial Officer +44 (0)20 7575 1591 About BTG BTG in-licenses, develops and commercialises pharmaceuticals and other medicaltechnologies. With a substantial and growing revenue stream of royalties andmilestone payments from out-licensed products, BTG continues to strengthen itspipeline of preclinical and clinical development programmes. Active in thefields of oncology, diseases of ageing, neuroscience, drug repositioning andmedical devices, BTG works from its offices in London, Philadelphia and Osakawith a global partner network of healthcare companies and researchorganisations. For further information, visit: www.btgplc.com. This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock ExchangeRelated Shares:
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