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WILEX
to follow FDA advice and apply for a special protocol assessment (SPA)
for CA9-SCAN
Munich, June 29, 2007 The Munich-based biopharmaceutical
company WILEX AG (ISIN DE0006614720 / Frankfurt Stock Exchange / Prime Standard)
is to apply to the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) for a special protocol
assessment (SPA) for the registration trial for its medicinal product candidate
CA9-SCAN. This will be the second product candidate out of WILEX’ portfolio
to be tested in a Phase III registration trial. CA9-SCAN is an investigational
imaging diagnostic based on an antibody and is being developed for the pre-surgical
diagnosis of clear cell Renal Cell Cancer which is expected to improve treatment
planning for patients with renal cancer.
WILEX is following the recommendation of the FDA resulting from the pre-IND
meeting in which the draft clinical protocol was reviewed. Following this discussion,
which took place in the first quarter of 2007, the Company revised the trial
protocol and drafted the Imaging Charter which describes the evaluation procedure
to be carried out by independent experts. Both the protocol and Imaging Charter
were recently submitted to the US authorities.
The clinical research organisation and trial centres have already been chosen
for this registration trial which will begin as soon as the Company receives
the SPA. WILEX AG has confirmed the schedule for the development of CA9-SCAN;
the submission of the IND later this year would allow filing for approval in
2008 at the earliest, assuming positive results.
Dr. Paul Bevan, Head of R&D and Member of the Executive Management at WILEX
AG, pointed out: “The strategic decision to request an SPA from the FDA
will enhance the quality and speed up the review process once the study is
completed. To the best of our knowledge, CA9-SCAN would represent the first
diagnostic radiopharmaceutical to be granted an SPA”
About "SPA"
Special protocol assessment (SPA) is an instrument
of the FDA introduced in 2002 whereby, if granted, the FDA evaluates
a clinical protocol, submitted by a sponsor. The SPA documents the fact
that the FDA assumes, following the assessment of the design and planned
analysis of the clinical trial, that these adequately and appropriately
address the requirements of the application submission. The FDA is then
bound to this protocol assessment as part of the application process.
In general, the SPA can significantly reduce development time since the
design of the pivotal protocol has been approved in advance.
About CA9-SCAN
WILEX’s late stage multi-product portfolio
includes CA9-SCAN as a radioactively labelled form of the antibody
WX-G250. The labelled antibody WX-G250 targets clear cell renal cell
carcinoma and accumulates in the tumour tissue. This accumulation can
be visualised by means of Positron Emission Tomography (PET). An earlier
feasibility study found that a positive result with CA9-SCAN was confirmed
as clear cell renal cell carcinoma in 100% of cases (positive predictive
value). CA9-SCAN could determine whether the patient had clear cell
renal cell carcinoma before surgery and the subsequent pathology. Therefore,
CA9-SCAN could significantly improve and simplify treatment planning
for patients suspected of having renal cancer. The company is not aware
of any other available imaging technique with comparable specificity
and sensitivity. Patients with suspected renal cancer will be enrolled
in about ten centres in the USA under the registration trial. They
will be examined prior to surgery using the CA9-SCAN imaging procedure.
About WILEX
WILEX is a biopharmaceutical Company based in
Munich founded in 1997 by a team of physicians and oncologists from the
Technical University of Munich. WILEX is focused on the development of
new cancer therapies based on antibodies and small molecules. The therapeutic
approach of WILEX targets the prevention of growth, spread and the metastasis
of malignant tumours and the destruction of malignant tumours in the
body. The late stage multi-product portfolio includes both drug and medicinal
product candidates ranging from research to late stage clinical development.
Currently the following compounds are in clinical development: WX-G250
(development name: RENCAREX®), WX-671, WX-UK1 and CA9-SCAN. The company’s
strategy is to develop WILEX into a commercially successful biopharmaceutical
company with a broad portfolio of new drugs and medical products for
the treatment of cancer. WILEX AG is listed at the Frankfurt Stock Exchange
on the Official Market Segment (Amtlicher Markt) / Prime Standard since
November 13, 2006.
ISIN DE0006614720 / WKN 661472 / Symbol
WL6
Contact
Juliane Giese
Manager Public Relations
WILEX AG
Grillparzerstr. 10
81675 München
Germany
Tel.: +49 (0)89-41 31 38-29
Fax: +49 (0)89-41 31 38-99
e-mail: investors@WILEX.com
Website: www.WILEX.com
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