Collaboration with Orano on ImmuPharma’s peptide technology as a vector for cancer radiotherapy

ImmuPharma PLC (LSE:IMM), the specialist drug discovery and development company, is delighted to announce that it has signed an initial collaboration agreement on the Company’s peptide technology, with Orano SA (“Orano”), a leading international corporation and a key player in the nuclear energy sector.

 Key points:

• Orano has paid a small undisclosed amount to ImmuPharma for a 12-month collaboration to identify suitable radiotherapy candidates for the treatment of cancer.
• ImmuPharma has agreed to provide its peptide technology, to explore the potential to allow delivery of a potent radioactive isotope to the core of a cancer cell.
• Our team based in Bordeaux, (ImmuPharma Biotech), in conjunction with Orano and the Cancer Research Centre of Lyon (CRCL), will work together to identify molecules that can carry the radioactive entity.
• Any potential new cancer therapeutic using ImmuPharma’s peptide technology, discovered as part of the collaboration will be subject to a full licensing agreement between ImmuPharma and Orano in preparation for further development by Orano.
• The therapeutic goal is to use ImmuPharma’s peptide technology to deliver a radioactive bullet to the nucleus of cancer cells, killing the cell with minimal impact on surrounding tissue.
• The radiopharmaceuticals market is expected to achieve global sales *€8.5bn by 2031. The combination of ImmuPharma’s peptide technology and a powerful radioactive bullet is an exciting new approach with significant commercial potential.

Further details of this development program will be communicated over the next 12 months.

*Source: Transparency Market Research, November 2022.

Commenting on the announcement, Tim McCarthy, CEO of ImmuPharma, said:

“We are delighted to have signed this agreement with Orano. It is the ideal program for our peptide asset given its ability to enter the nucleus of cancer cells. The combination of our peptide as a nuclear targeting vector, combined with the short-range destructive qualities of Orano’s radioactive bullet makes this a logical collaboration for both companies. Furthermore, we potentially create a new product life cycle for our peptide. We look forward to working with Orano and the Cancer Research Centre of Lyon over the next 12 months.”

Commenting on the announcement, Guillaume Dureau, Orano’s Director of Research & Development and Innovation said:

“For Orano, it is a real opportunity to evaluate the potential of a highly promising compound, combining one of our new radioisotopes with a promising peptide previously developed by Immupharma. This will enable us to expand and strengthen our pipeline of innovative radiopharmaceuticals.”

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This announcement contains inside information as stipulated under the UK version of the Market Abuse Regulation no 596/2014 which is part of English law by virtue of the European (withdrawal) Act 2018, as amended. On publication of this announcement via a regulatory information service, this information is considered to be in the public domain.