Download For Immediate Release…. VIVENTIA AND ESBATECH ENTER

For Immediate Release….
VIVENTIA AND ESBATECH ENTER
COLLABORATION TO ENHANCE ANTIBODIES
Toronto, Canada and Zurich, Switzerland, March 9th, 2004. - Viventia Biotech Inc. Toronto,
Canada and ESBATech AG Zurich, Switzerland, announced today that they have entered into a
license agreement and research collaboration. The goal of the collaboration is to investigate
whether ESBATech’s unique antibody stabilization and expression technology can enhance the
characteristics of certain antibodies discovered through Viventia’s proprietary antibody discovery
and screening platforms Hybridomics™ and ImmunoMine™, with a view to the development of
drug candidates in the field of oncology. Under the terms of the agreement ESBATech will receive
an upfront payment and research funding. At the end of the collaboration, Viventia has the option
to license the ESBATech technology for clinical development, with milestone payments and
royalties due to ESBATech.
As part of the research collaboration, ESBATech will utilize its proprietary technologies to
investigate whether these technologies have the potential to enhance the stability, binding and yield
of certain recombinant antibody fragments engineered by Viventia. Dr. Nick Glover, President and
CEO, Viventia Biotech said, “Viventia seeks partners, such as ESBATech, who can complement
our own discovery platforms and help us deliver on our goal of creating safer and more potent
therapeutics for the fight against cancer. I look forward to a mutually beneficial collaboration with
them.”
ESBATech AG is a drug discovery and development company employing proprietary, fully human
antibody fragment technology for the development of therapeutic applications in the fields of
Alzheimer’s disease, respiratory infections and oncology. Dr. Dominik Escher, CEO, ESBATech
commented, “ESBATech is very pleased with the recognition of the potential of its technology by
Viventia. We are pleased to have the opportunity to work in collaboration with Viventia and look
forward to helping Viventia advance its strategy of developing highly specific targeted
therapeutics.”
Viventia Biotech Inc. is developing innovative therapeutic products based upon the human immune
response to cancer. Through its discovery platform, Hybridomics, target identification platform
UnLock™, and its screening platform, ImmunoMine, the Company is focused on developing
“Totally Human” monoclonal antibodies as Armed Antibodies™ to fight multiple forms of cancer.
This press release contains forward-looking statements, which are subject to risks and uncertainties inherent to the process of
developing and commercialising human therapeutic products. Actual results could differ materially from those projected in this release.
The Toronto Stock Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved the information contained herein
For additional information please contact:
ESBATech AG
Dr. Dominik Escher
Chief Executive Officer
Wagistr.21
CH-8952 Zurich-Schlieren
Switzerland
Tel: +41.1.733.4900
Fax: +41.1.733.4990
Email: [email protected]
URL: www.esbastech.com
Viventia Biotech
Domenic LoParco
Manager, Investor Relations
10 Four Seasons Place, Suite 501
Toronto, Ontario
Canada M9B 6H7
Tel: +1.416.641.4585
Fax: +1.416.335.9306
Email: [email protected]
URL: www.viventia.com