Targovax granted US Patent for oncolytic virus ONCOS-102

Targovax announced today that the US Patent and Trademark office has granted US patent no 9,345,787 for Targovax' lead viral product ONCOS-102.

ONCOS-102 is a purposefully engineered human serotype 5 adenovirus optimized to induce systemic anti-tumor T cell response in cancer patients.

"This patent is an important component of Targovax's intellectual property portfolio covering specific vaccine candidates," says Antti Vuolanto, Executive Vice President of Targovax. "We have now confirmed patent protection of our lead viral product candidate until 2029 in the US which is the biggest market for immune oncology products."

The main characteristics of ONCOS-102 include:

• The adenovirus knob protein targeting the virus into the host cells is replaced with a protein from different adenovirus (serotype 3) to facilitate the specific entrance of ONCOS-102 into tumor cells
• One of the genes affecting virus replication in the host cells is inactivated (D24 deletion). As a result, the virus cannot replicate in normal cells, but can do so in tumor cells
• A gene coding for GM-CSF, a drug stimulating the immune response, inserted into the virus genome and expressed during the virus replication in the tumor cells

In a previous Phase I trial, ONCOS-102 treatment induced tumor specific immune activation both at a systemic and lesional level. The immune activation was associated with clinical benefit.

During 2016, Targovax aims to initiate four clinical Phase I and I/II trials in several indications to study ONCOS-102 in combination with other treatments such as immune checkpoint inhibitors, DC therapy and chemotherapy.

For further information, please contact:

Gunnar Gårdemyr, CEO
Phone: +46 73 083 77 79
Email: ggardemyr@targovax.com

Øystein Soug, CFO
Phone: +47 906 56 525
Email: oystein.soug@targovax.com

Arming the patient's immune system to fight cancer
Targovax is a clinical stage immuno-oncology company developing targeted immunotherapy treatments for cancer patients. Targovax has a broad and diversified immune therapy portfolio and aims to become a world leader in its area. The company is currently developing two complementary and highly targeted approaches in immuno-oncology.

ONCOS - 102 is a virus-based immunotherapy platform based on engineered oncolytic viruses armed with potent immune-stimulating transgenes targeting solid tumors. This treatment is designed to reactivate the immune system's capacity to recognize and attack cancer cells.

TG01 and TG02 are part of a peptide-based immunotherapy platform targeting the difficult to treat RAS mutations found in more than 85% of pancreatic cancers, 50% of colorectal cancer and 20-30% of all cancers. Targovax is working towards demonstrating that TG vaccines will prolong time to cancer progression and increase survival.

These product candidates will be developed in combination with multiple treatments, including checkpoint inhibitors in several cancer indications. Targovax also has a number of other cancer immune therapy candidates in the early stages of development.