PR: Heidelberg Pharma’s Partner Takeda Reached Development Milestone

PRESS RELEASE

Heidelberg Pharma’s Partner Takeda Reached Development Milestone

Ladenburg, Germany, 8 August 2023 – Heidelberg Pharma AG (FSE: HPHA) announced today that its partner Takeda reached a development milestone for starting a GLP (Good Laboratory Practice) toxicology study for an Antibody Targeted Amanitin Conjugate. Upon achievement of the milestone, Heidelberg Pharma received a milestone payment. The payment was already budgeted for in Heidelberg Pharma's financial forecast for financial year 2023.

Prof. Andreas Pahl, CSO of Heidelberg Pharma AG, commented: "We are happy that the development of Takeda’s ATAC candidate, an Amanitin-based ADC, is progressing successfully and that the important GLP study was started. We are looking forward to the next development steps."

In 2022, Takeda exclusively licensed the worldwide development and commercialization rights from Heidelberg Pharma for the use of the ATAC technology with an antibody directed to a defined target and the resulting product candidates.

About Heidelberg Pharma's proprietary ATAC technology

Antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) combine the high affinity and specificity of antibodies with the potency of cytotoxic small molecules for the treatment of cancer. Heidelberg Pharma works with ADCs based on its proprietary ATAC technology using Amanitin as the active ingredient. Amanitin belongs to the amatoxin molecules, bicyclic peptides that occur naturally in the green deathcap mushroom. Amanitin inhibits mRNA transcription by binding to RNA polymerase II, a mechanism that is crucial for the survival of eukaryotic cells. Inhibition of RNA polymerase II is a new mode of action for cancer therapy. In preclinical testing, ATACs have been shown to be highly efficacious, overcoming frequently encountered resistance mechanisms and combating even quiescent tumor cells.