• May 22, 2021

NEWS & EVENTS

Biocortech and Drug Safety Executive Council announce Technology Evaluation Consortium to validate novel toxicogenomic screening assay to predict potential drug-induced psychiatric adverse events

Announcement

Paris Biopark, Paris, France and Drug Safety Executive Council (DSEC), Needham, Massachusetts, United States- June 17, 2010 – Biocortech, the biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the development of drug safety screening assays and in vitro blood tests for neuropsychiatric disorders, and DSEC ( Drug Safety Executive Council) today announced that they entered into a Technology Evaluation Consortium.

“We are very proud of having been selected for such an exclusive partnership that allows a limited number of cutting-edge technology and services providers to work with DSEC,” said Dinah Weissmann, Biocortech’s founder and CEO. This partnership, which is aimed at validating Biocortech’s toxicogenomic screening assay for predicting potential drug-induced neuropsychiatric adverse events, recently entered into the operational phase with five leading pharmaceutical companies whose names are undisclosed.

“This is a tremendous opportunity to establish Biocortech within the DSEC community as a leading expert and service provider,” added Frederic Allemand, Biocortech’s CBO.

“The Biocortech technology platform and service offering dovetails with DSEC’s objective of improving the overall economics of R&D; and advancing the development of better and safer medicines. This is an exciting project for both our team and our participating pharma members,” said Eric Glazer, Managing Director of DSEC.

About Biocortech

Biocortech is a biopharmaceutical company committed to the discovery and development of novel biomarkers and treatments for neuropsychiatric disorders such as depression, bipolar disorders, schizophrenia and cognitive deficits. Biocortech’s proprietary drug cellular screening assays and blood tests can contribute respectively to de-risking and optimizing drug candidates with respect to potential drug-induced psychiatric adverse events, and to personalizing psychiatric medicine. Biocortech is based in Paris, France.

About Drug Safety Executive Council

DSEC is a peer membership of over 2,000 drug safety leaders with the common objective of advancing the development of better and safer medicines. DSEC also manages a Technology Evaluation Consortium, made up of multiple biopharmaceutical companies, that qualifies novel, preclinical safety platforms. Learn more at www.drugsafetycouncil.org.

DSEC’s mission is to create a forum that enables constituents to improve drug development paradigms by integrating a select few technology and service providers into the DSEC community through its Technology Evaluation Consortium, DSEC is managed by Cambridge Healthtech Associates (CHA), the leading organizer and facilitator of consortia and communities in the life sciences industry.

Cellectis CEO Dr. André Choulika Joins Biocortech’s Board of Directors

Announcement

Biocortech, the biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the development of drug safety screening and in vitro blood test applications for personalized medicine of neuropsychiatric disorders, today announced that Dr. André Choulika, chief executive officer of Cellectis, was elected to Biocortech’s Board of Directors.

“André is doing a terrific job as CEO of Cellectis, and we look forward to his contributions as a member of Biocortech’s Board of Directors,&lrdquo; said Dinah Weissmann, Biocortech’s founder and CEO.

“We think André’s insights and experience, both as an experienced scientist and as a successful entrepreneur, will be very valuable in helping to guide Biocortech in the years ahead.&lrdquo; “Biocortech technologies provides a paradigm shift for biomarker applications in the unexplored field of neuropsychiatric disorders,&lrdquo; said André Choulika. “I’m really exited to join Biocortech’s board to help the company in its way to a great success.&lrdquo;

André Choulika, 45, is founder and Chief Executive Officer of Cellectis SA, a 115 employees biotechnology company with four subsidiaries founded in 2000, and a world leader in genome engineering listed on NYSE Euronext’s NYSE Alternext market (ALCLS) since February 2007. André is a pioneer in the analysis and use of Meganucleases to modify complex genomes.

He has made many critical observations in the field and co-authored several scientific publications and patents. André received his Ph.D. in molecular virology from Pierre et Marie Curie – Paris VI University and made post-doctoral studies at the Harvard Medical School within the Department of Molecular Medicine of Boston Children’s Hospital. Before founding Cellectis, André held the position of a research fellow of Institut Pasteur and followed the Challenge+ courses at HEC School of Management.

In addition, to his position at Cellectis, André is also President of France Biotech, member of the Supervisory Board of Viroxis SA, member of the Investment Committee of G1J Ile-de-France, member of the Council of Emerging Companies of EuropaBio and member of the Scientifique Advisory Board of Biofutur.

About Biocortech

Biocortech is a biopharmaceutical company committed to the discovery and development of novel biomarkers and treatments for neuropsychiatric disorders such as depression, bipolar disorders, schizophrenia and cognitive deficits. Biocortech’s proprietary drug cellular screening assays and blood tests can contribute respectively to de-risking and optimizing drug candidates, with respect to potential drug-induced psychiatric adverse events, and to personalizing psychiatric medicine. Biocortech is based in Paris, France.

Biocortech and Marco Polo Pharmaceuticals Sign Licensing Agreement to Develop BC-19 in Treatment Resistant Depression

Announcement

Biocortech has entered into a licensing agreement with drug repositioning company Marco Polo Pharmaceuticals to develop BC-19 in treatment resistant depression. Under the terms of the agreement, Marco Polo takes responsibility for all further clinical development of BC-19 and for eventual commercialisation or outlicensing to a suitable partner.

BC-19 is an eburnamine derivative, previously investigated for the indications of cerebral insufficiency and cognitive deficits. As an antidepressant, BC-19 had shown remarkably beneficial properties when administered to patients suffering from treatment resistant depression. Moreover, BC19 is the first depression therapy to offer the possibility of disease modification by restoring the function of deficient noradrenergic pathways which terminate in the prefrontal cortex.

“This agreement, which is aligned with our strategic shift toward biomarkers, is a great opportunity to move BC-19 development forward and to bring a novel class of promising compounds to patients.” said Dr. Dinah Weissmann, CEO of Biocortech. Professor Jean François Pujol, CSO of Biocortech added that , “It is fortunate that all the work done to decipher the new mechanism of action of BC-19, and my vision to develop BC-19 for treatment resistant depression since the late 1980s, led to this open perspective of addressing unmet needs of suffering patients.”

“It is a great accomplishment for our company to announce a licensing agreement of this kind,” said Professor Mondher Toumi, CEO of Marco Polo Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Aleksandar Bakhutshuili, CMO added that, “there is a major unmet need in resistant and melancholic depression, and we believe that this compound will help those who suffer from this disease. Our team looks forward to further developing BC-19 in these indications.”

About Treatment-Resistant Depression

Treatment-resistant depression is a common manifestation of major depressive disorder, where patients do not respond to adequate courses of least two different antidepressants. It is estimated that between 10 to 30 percent of cases are either partially or totally resistant to antidepressant therapy.

Unfortunately, the chances for full recovery diminish the longer a patient remains depressed. Current options for these patients are combination therapy, augmentation therapy or electroconvulsive therapy. However, these therapies entail increased side effects and complex administration routines.

About Biocortech

Biocortech is a biopharmaceutical company committed to the discovery and development of novel biomarkers as predictive toxicogenomic assays, in vitro diagnostic tests and drug companion tests for psychiatric disorders such as depression, bipolar disorders, schizophrenia, suicidality and cognitive deficits.

Biocortech’s proprietary technologies and assays enable drug candidate optimization, with respect to safety at the level of the central nervous system, as well as patient stratification and treatments monitoring in clinical setting. Biocortech is based in Paris, France.

About Marco Polo Pharmaceuticals

Marco Polo Pharmaceuticals is a drug repositioning company. We identify, acquire and develop promising drug candidates in new indications or markets. We focus on the major central nervous system diseases: schizophrenia, depression, Alzheimer’s disease and epilepsy. Currently, Marco Polo is conducting two separate proof-of-concept clinical trials to reposition drugs in epilepsy and schizophrenia. Marco Polo Pharmaceuticals is based in Luxembourg.

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