PARIS and NEW YORK, November 16,
2016 /PRNewswire/ --
Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:
BMY) and Enterome SA (Enterome), a pioneer in the
development of pharmaceuticals and diagnostics based on the gut
microbiome, announced that they have entered into an
Immuno-Oncology focused collaboration agreement for the discovery
and development of microbiome-derived biomarkers, drug targets and
bioactive molecules to be developed as potential companion
diagnostics and therapeutics for cancer. Additionally, the
collaboration will seek to identify novel microbiome-derived
biomarkers in an effort to improve clinical outcomes for patients
treated with Bristol-Myers Squibb's Immuno-Oncology portfolio.
The collaboration will combine Bristol-Myers Squibb's expertise
in the discovery and development of novel immunotherapies with
Enterome's proprietary metagenomic technology platform and
leadership in the rapidly advancing science of the gut microbiome
to support the discovery of novel immunotherapy agents and
biomarkers. There is a growing body of scientific evidence to
suggest that the gut microbiome plays an important role in
modulating mechanisms of response and resistance to cancer
immunotherapies. Changes in a host's immune system driven by the
gut microbiome can be exploited to identify specific targets and
bioactive compounds with the potential to augment anti-cancer
immune responses.
"We continue to pursue the full potential of
Immuno-Oncology by applying rapidly evolving science, technology
and research to our strong foundation in harnessing the immune
system to fight cancer," said Carl Decicco, Ph. D., Head of Discovery at
Bristol-Myers Squibb. "Business development
has been integral in partnering external innovation with our
internal R&D expertise and capabilities.
Enterome's focus on target identification and
validation along with their significant experience in microbiome
research can help to advance our goal to improve outcomes for
patients treated with immunotherapies."
"We are delighted to collaborate with Bristol-Myers
Squibb to help advance the field of
Immuno-Oncology," said Pierre Belichard, Chief
Executive Officer at Enterome. "The exciting
combination of Bristol-Myers Squibb's extensive
capabilities in Immuno-Oncology with our expertise in identifying
novel targets and molecules derived from the gut microbiome is
highly complementary, and offers a unique opportunity to develop a
new generation of cancer drugs and diagnostics."
Under the terms of the agreement, Bristol-Myers Squibb will be
granted exclusive rights to intellectual property and therapies
generated during the collaboration. Enterome will receive an
upfront payment of $15 million for
access to its technology plus R&D funding. Enterome is also
eligible to receive preclinical and clinical milestone payments for
each licensed therapeutic candidate plus royalties on net sales.
Enterome is eligible for additional milestone payments in relation
to new diagnostic products discovered and developed during the
collaboration.
Further details of the agreement were not disclosed.
About the Microbiome and Immuno-Oncology
In the past decade, an explosion of research in the microbiome
field has revealed a remarkable symbiotic relationship between the
gut bacteria and its human host, enhancing biotech companies'
interest in manipulating this relationship to improve human health.
Scientists have shown that the gut microbiome plays an important
role in regulating metabolism, influencing the chemistry in the
brain, acting as a barrier to pathogens and regulating the immune
system. In the cancer context, recent publications have
demonstrated the role of the intestinal microbiome in mediating
immune activation in response to chemotherapeutic agents. New
cancer immunotherapies have improved outcomes in cancer patients
and their combination with microbiome-based therapeutics may help
to boost the immune system and potentially lead to improved
outcomes in more patients.
About Bristol-Myers Squibb
Bristol-Myers Squibb is a global
biopharmaceutical company whose mission is to discover, develop and
deliver innovative medicines that help patients prevail over
serious diseases. For more information about Bristol-Myers Squibb,
visit us at BMS.com or follow us on LinkedIn,
Twitter, and YouTube.
About Enterome
Enterome is pioneering the development of novel pharmaceuticals
and diagnostics to support personalized therapies in
microbiome-related diseases such as Inflammatory Bowel Disease
(IBD), cancer and metabolic diseases.
Enterome is also leading the development of new industry
standards in gut microbiome quantitative and functional analysis.
This technology leadership allows Enterome to open up the new field
of therapeutic target discovery in the microbiome in order to
address significant unmet medical needs.
Enterome has established partnerships with leading
pharmaceutical companies and academic research institutes,
including Johnson & Johnson Innovation/Janssen Biotech, Takeda
and Abbvie in inflammatory bowel and gastro-intestinal diseases;
Bristol-Myers Squibb in immuno-oncology; and the Mayo Clinic and
Geisinger hospitals in metabolic disorders.
The Company was established in 2012 in Paris, France to develop the discoveries made
by the INRA metagenomic platform. The Company has raised a total of
€32 million from leading venture capital investors (Seventure
Partners, Lundbeckfonden Ventures, Health for Life Capital &
Omnes Capital) and strategic investors (Nestlé, Shire & INRA
Transfert). Additional information about Enterome is available
through its website : http://www.enterome.com
Bristol-Myers Squibb Forward-Looking Statement
This press release contains "forward-looking
statements" as that term is defined in the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 regarding the research,
development and commercialization of pharmaceutical products. Such
forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and
involve inherent risks and uncertainties, including factors that
could delay, divert or change any of them, and could cause actual
outcomes and results to differ materially from current
expectations. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed. Among
other risks, there can be no guarantee that the investigational
compounds discussed in this release will be successfully developed
or approved for any of the indications described in this release.
Forward-looking statements in this press release should be
evaluated together with the many uncertainties that affect
Bristol-Myers Squibb's business, particularly those identified in
the cautionary factors discussion in Bristol-Myers Squibb's Annual
Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015 in our Quarterly Reports on
Form 10-Q and our Current Reports on Form 8-K. Bristol-Myers Squibb undertakes no obligation
to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a
result of new information, future events or
otherwise.
Contacts
Enterome
Media - Citigate Dewe
Rogerson
David Dible / Mark Swallow / Marine
Perrier
Tel. +44 207 638 9571 / enterome@citigatedr.co.uk
Investors - Enterome
Pierre Belichard, CEO / Tel. +33 6 81 53 96 33 /
pbelichard@enterome.com
Bristol-Myers Squibb
Media
Ken Dominski / Tel. 609-252-5251 /
ken.dominski@bms.com
Lisa McCormick Lavery / Tel.
609-252-7602 / lisa.mccormicklavery@bms.com
Investors
Tim Power / Tel. 609-252-7509 /
timothy.power@bms.com
Bill Szablewski / Tel. 609-252-5894
/ william.szablewski@bms.com
SOURCE Enterome and BMS