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Klick to download PDF: 20110711 Savira Biocentury Interview

Vienna, 5.8.2010 – Savira, an Austrian pharmaceutical company focusing on the development of novel anti-influenza drugs is part of a consortium under the lead of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), which was recently awarded a grant from the European Commission of EUR 6 million. Earlier this year, Savira received funding of kEUR 560 from the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG) supporting its flu polymerase inhibitor development program.

Within the European Health Care Call – Influenza 2010 – of the Framework 7 program, the European Commission awarded a consortium co-ordinated by Stephen Cusack of the EMBL and consisting of several leading European influenza researchers and commercial companies a grant of EUR 6 millions. The consortium will pursue fundamental research on the influenza viral polymerase and push forward a drug development program with the aim of taking a novel influenza polymerase inhibitor into clinical development. The program is planned to start in Q4, 2010 and will support Savira’s development efforts over the next 3.5 years.

Oliver Szolar, CEO of Savira states “By awarding this grant, the experts at the European Commission have acknowledged the outstanding team, cutting edge science, the quality of the development program, clear management structures of the consortium and a clear vision for further clinical development.”

Earlier this year, the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG) awarded Savira a grant of kEUR 560 pursuing its flu polymerase inhibitor lead discovery and optimization program.

Savira expects private investment and collaboration agreements with strategic partners to secure financing through to clinical proof of concept studies.

Novel therapeutics based on the inhibition of the influenza polymerase

The PB2 cap-binding and PA endonuclease active sites, two crucial domains in the trimeric viral RNA-dependent polymerase, are among the most promising targets for novel anti-influenza drugs. Specialists in the field expect that, due to the conserved nature of these domains, new inhibitors will be less prone to the evolution of resistant virus strains. Detailed knowledge of the target structures recently identified by Stephen Cusack and co-workers at EMBL, Grenoble, will allow Savira Pharmaceuticals to rationally design selective inhibitors of the influenza virus polymerase. First hits that have proven to be active in cellular antiviral assays.

About Savira

Savira pharmaceuticals a Vienna, Austria based company, exploits technology from its cofounders the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) from Heidelberg, Germany and the biotech company onepharm from Vienna, Austria. EMBL has licensed the intellectual property on groundbreaking results of the structural identification of two influenza polymerase targets to Savira pharmaceuticals.

About EMBL

The European Molecular Biology Laboratory is a basic research institute funded by public research monies from 20 member states (Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom) and associate member state Australia. Research at EMBL is conducted by approximately 80 independent groups covering the spectrum of molecular biology. The Laboratory has five units: the main Laboratory in Heidelberg, and Outstations in Hinxton (the European Bioinformatics Institute), Grenoble, Hamburg, and Monterotondo near Rome. The cornerstones of EMBL’s mission are: to perform basic research in molecular biology; to train scientists, students, and visitors at all levels; to offer vital services to scientists in the member states; to develop new instruments and methods in the life sciences and to actively engage in technology transfer activities. EMBL’s International PhD Programme has a student body of about 170. The Laboratory also sponsors an active Science and Society programme. Visitors from the press and public are welcome.

Klick to download PDF: 20100727 Savira-Press release.pdf

Vienna, July 2010 – Helmut H. Buschmann, a leading medicinal chemistry expert joins Savira pharmaceuticals, an Austrian biotech company focusing on the development of novel anti-influenza drugs.

“It is a great pleasure to welcome Helmut Buschmann in our team”, said Oliver Szolar, CEO of Savira. “Helmut will immensely contribute to Savira’s development program with his vast experience and world class medicinal chemistry expertise”.

Dr. Helmut H. Buschmann is a senior management executive with 19 years of international experience in drug discovery research and drug development in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry with particular strengths in identifying, evaluating, and integrating pre-clinical projects and transfer to clinical development. Helmut Buschmann has a strong commitment to the commercial aspects and an excellent understanding of the regulatory and intellectual property impact of the R&D process. He provides strong expertise in managing the interfaces between chemistry, pharmacology, toxicology, and clinics with the goal to create innovative first-in-class new chemical entities (NCEs). Under his guidance, more than 15 NCEs entered clinical development with some of them reaching clinical phase III and the market (e.g. Tapentadol marketed as Nucynta® in the U.S. and as Palexia® in Europe).

Helmut Buschmann spent 10 years with Grünenthal (Aachen) before joining Laboratorios Dr. Esteve in Barcelona as research director for 7 years. In 2009, he joined Pharma Consulting Aachen as independent consultant for diverse companies. Helmut Buschmann led or co-authored more than 90 publications in the field, edited and authored three books, and is listed as inventor in more than 180 patent applications. Moreover, he is member of several scientific advisory boards of public research institutions in Europe and gives lectures at the universities of Aachen and Rostock.

“Savira’s development program fascinated me from the first moment. The world class science, a strong and committed team, the top league of collaborating partners and supporting board members, and the opportunity to contribute to the development of an antiviral therapy to a disease that still is a major threat to the world’s health, made this decision easy to take”, commented Helmut Buschmann on his appointment as CSO of Savira pharmaceuticals.

Savira pharmaceuticals: Novel therapeutics based on the inhibition of the influenza polymerase

The PB2 cap-binding and PA endonuclease active sites, two crucial domains in the trimeric viral RNA-dependent polymerase, are among the most promising targets for novel anti-influenza drugs. Due to the conserved nature of these domains, it can be expected that new inhibitors will be less prone to the evolution of resistant virus strains. Detailed knowledge of the target structures recently identified by Stephen Cusack and co-workers at the EMBL, Grenoble, will allow Savira to rationally design selective inhibitors of the influenza virus polymerase. Through a series of screens, Savira already successfully extracted first hits that have proven to be active in cellular antiviral assays.

Klick to download PDF: 20100715 Savira-Press release.pdf

SAVIRA PHARMACEUTICALS– Defeating Influenza

onepharm and EMBL establish new company with the help of AWS. Focus on development of novel anti-influenza drugs

Vienna, 23.9.2009 – Savira, an Austrian pharmaceutical company focusing on the development of novel anti-influenza drugs was recently established in Vienna and supported with seed financing of 1 Mio Euro by the AWS (Austria Wirtschaftsservice). Based on intellectual property from the co-founders, the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) from Heidelberg, Germany and the biotech company onepharm from Vienna, Austria, Savira will manage a medicinal chemistry program aiming at the identification of lead candidates and the development of anti-influenza drugs.

“EMBL is pleased to be co-founder of Savira” says Martin Raditsch, Deputy Managing Director from EMBLEM, the commercial subsidiary of EMBL. “We were impressed, how fast this company has been established by the operational team in Vienna and how professionally Savira has been supported and funded by the AWS.” EMBL supports the founding process of spin-out companies in its member states to exploit the outcome of its research efforts for all stakeholders. EMBLEM has licensed the intellectual property on groundbreaking results of the structural identification of two influenza polymerase targets to Savira.

onepharm, a Viennese Biotech company with a focus on development of drugs for the treatment of periodontitis and other chronic inflammatory diseases assigns its anti-influenza research team and related know-how to Savira. “We are pleased that our substantial expertise in influenza research will now benefit the development of Savira”, says Bernhard Küenburg, CEO of onepharm. “Over the past 3 years, we have put significant resources into influenza research and development activities; however, as a start up company we are too small to support both, anti-inflammatory and antiviral drug development. The foundation of Savira is the basis for the successful continuation of both activities.”

Novel therapeutics based on the inhibition of the influenza polymerase

The PB2 cap-binding and PA endonuclease active sites, two crucial domains in the trimeric viral RNA-dependent polymerase, are among the most promising targets for novel anti-influenza drugs. “Due to the conserved nature of these domains, it can be expected that new inhibitors will be less prone to the evolution of resistant virus strains”, explains Oliver Szolar, CEO/CSO of Savira. “Detailed knowledge of the target structures recently identified by Stephen Cusack and co-workers at EMBL, Grenoble, will allow us to rationally design selective inhibitors of the influenza virus polymerase. Through a series of screens, we already successfully extracted first hits that have proven to be active in cellular antiviral assays.”

New drugs based on the inhibition of viral endocytosis

onepharm recently discovered that Glycyrrhizin, a glycosylated triterpene and major constituent of liquorice, exerts its anti-influenza activity by inhibition of viral endocytosis. Over the last years, a variety of novel substituted triterpenes were generated in the course of a comprehensive medicinal chemistry program revealing compounds with significantly increased anti-influenza activity. “We will exploit the anti-influenza potential of these new compounds and identify lead candidates for further development”, says Oliver Szolar. Thus, Savira’s sound development pipeline will be fuelled from three different medicinal chemistry programs.

About onepharm

onepharm, a Vienna-based Biotech company, was founded jointly by the management and Avir Green Hills Biotechnology in 2005. The company focuses on the development of its lead candidate OPM-3023 in chronic inflammatory indications such as periodontitis, rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowl disease. In addition, new derivatives of OPM-3023 are synthesized and screened for their anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties. To this date, onepharm has been able to attract funds exceeding EUR 9 million, including equity capital, subsidized loans and research grants.

About EMBL

The European Molecular Biology Laboratory is a basic research institute funded by public research monies from 20 member states (Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom) and associate member state Australia. Research at EMBL is conducted by approximately 80 independent groups covering the spectrum of molecular biology. The Laboratory has five units: the main Laboratory in Heidelberg, and Outstations in Hinxton (the European Bioinformatics Institute), Grenoble, Hamburg, and Monterotondo near Rome. The cornerstones of EMBL’s mission are: to perform basic research in molecular biology; to train scientists, students, and visitors at all levels; to offer vital services to scientists in the member states; to develop new instruments and methods in the life sciences and to actively engage in technology transfer activities. EMBL’s International PhD Programme has a student body of about 170. The Laboratory also sponsors an active Science and Society programme. Visitors from the press and public are welcome.

About EMBLEM Technology Transfer GmbH

EMBL Enterprise Management Technology Transfer GmbH (EMBLEM) is an affiliate and the commercial arm of the EMBL. EMBLEM identifies, protects and commercialises the intellectual property developed in the EMBL-world, from EMBL-alumni and from non-EMBL third parties. EMBLEM facilitates and accelerates the transfer of innovative technology from basic research to industry by working closely with industrial partners spanning the biotech, pharmaceutical, IT and mechanical/electrical engineering markets.

Contact

onepharm Research & Development GmbH, Veterinärplatz 1A, Object IA, 2nd floor, A-1210 Vienna
Dr. Bernhard Küenburg, CEO
Phone: +43 1 25077 5900
Fax: +43 1 25077 5999
bernhard.kueenburg(at)onepharm.com
www.onepharm.com

EMBLEM Technology Transfer GmbH, Boxbergring 107, D-69126 Heidelberg
Dr. Martin Raditsch, Deputy Managing Director
Phone: +49  6221 363 22 22
Fax: +49 6221 363 22 29
Raditsch(at)embl-em.de
www.embl-em.de

Savira Pharmaceuticals, Veterinärplatz 1A, Object IA, 2nd floor, A-1210 Vienna
Dr. Oliver Szolar, CEO/CSO
Phone: +43 1 25077 5904
Fax: +43 1 25077 5999
oliver.szolar(at)savira.at
www.savira.at