The biotechnologies company GamaMabs Pharma was launched and financed with LFB and BpiFrance's participation through Innobio fund next to IRDINov and iXO Private Equity in order to develop new cancer therapies. The company's first product is a new monoclonal antibody targeting gynecological cancers, including ovarian cancer.

Ovarian cancer is responsible for over 50 000 deaths every year in Europe and the United States. It has a poor prognosis as it is often diagnosed at an advanced stage due to a lack of systematic screening. Increasing resistance to traditional chemotherapy treatments justifies research into targeted therapeutic solutions, such as monoclonal antibodies.

In collaboration with public partners (Inserm, Université de Montpellier; Institut du cancer de Montpellier), the LFB group has chosen an original antibody with strong cytotoxic activity from its propriety platform for the monoclonal antibody generations (EMABling), to provide a new therapeutic approach to this pathology. The antibody 3C23K, for which LFB has obtained an exclusive operating license, has proven its effectiveness in experimental models of ovarian cancer.

Dr Jean-François Prost, former Scientific and medical director of the LFB group, and Stéphane Degove have joined forces to create GamaMabs Pharma and raise the necessary funds to develop this program.

GamaMabs Pharma benefits from an exclusive global sublicense from the LFB group for the monoclonal antibody 3C23K and is supported by LFB group's EMABling platform. In exchange for the agreed rights, LFB group owns a minor participation in the capital of GamaMabs Pharma. Led by BpiFrance through Innobio fund, the venture capital funds will contribute up to 3.1 million euros to the deal.

This investment will allow the validation of the therapeutic concept, in collaboration with various regional centers specialized in the fight against cancer and to prepare the first clinical trial.

Denis Soubeyran, Head of finance and strategy of LFB group has declared: 'This contract provides every opportunity for the success of this very promising project, initiated by LFB group, for the treatment of ovarian cancer. Our capital contribution in GamaMabs Pharma, our implication in the project through our EmaBling platform and the bioproduction capacity of our subsidiary LFB Biomanufacturing all demonstrate our interest and confidence in the future of this project'.

Philippe Boucheron, Deputy Director of Life Sciences at Bpifrance Investissement has declared: 'BpiFrance is delighted to work with GamaMabs Pharma and to support a truly innovative therapeutic approach for ovarian cancer, a cancer for which, sadly, few new solutions have reached the market recently and for which medical attention is important. Stéphane Degove and Jean-François Prost have the ideal combined experience to give GamaMabs Pharma the best chance of success'.

'We are extremely motivated by the development of this first-in-class antibody and our aim is to launch clinical trials in 2015', added Stephane Degove and Jean-François Prost. 'In addition to the financial support from key investors in the Health sector, this programme benefits from the R&D expertise of the LFB group'.

The management team at GamaMabs Pharma
Dr Jean-Francois Prost, Vice President of R&D and Strategy at GamaMabs Pharma has 30 years of experience in the European pharmaceutical industry. Previously he led the R&D Departments of Servier, Pierre Fabre and UCB Pharma. Over the past ten years as Scientific and medical director at LFB, he has determinedly contributed to the development of EMABling technology and to that of two antibodies currently in the clinical development.

Stephane Degove, Chief Executive Officer of GamaMabs pharma, has 17 years of experience in Finance and Strategy in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. An ESCP Europe graduate, he has worked for Sanofi and was a co-founder of Endotis Pharma specializing in thrombosis and cancer.

About the LFB group
LFB is a French biopharmaceutical group that develops, manufactures and commercializes/ markets medication for serious and often rare pathologies in the following major therapeutic fields: immunology, intensive care and hemostasis.

The LFB group is number one in France and number five in the world in plasma-derived medicinal products. The group is also one of the top European companies in the development and production of proteins and new generation treatments in biotechnologies. In 2012, 76.7 million euros were put towards research and development, for a turnover of 465.7 million euros.
Christian Bechon is the President of the group, which has 1887 employees.
http://www.lfb.fr