SELLAS Life Sciences Group To Present at the Annual AEGIS Healthcare & Technology Conference

ZUG, Switzerland and NEW YORK, Sept. 8, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- SELLAS Life Sciences Group (SELLAS), a Swiss-based development-stage biopharmaceutical company that acquires and develops innovative products for the treatment of various indications in cancer and the central nervous system (CNS), including orphan indications, today announced that Dr. Angelos M. Stergiou, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of SELLAS, will provide a corporate overview of SELLAS at the annual Aegis Healthcare & Technology Conference.

Presently, there are two phase 2 products to enter clinical trials in Europe and the USA in 2014 and 2015 across five indications in cancer and CNS.

Next to the WT1 cancer vaccine for hematological malignancies and solid tumors, recently in-licensed by Memorial Sloan Kettering, SELLAS also holds the rights of zolpidem for various CNS basal ganglia disorders, including Parkinson's Disease (PD) and the orphan indication Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP).

About SELLAS Life Sciences Group
SELLAS Life Sciences is a Swiss-based development-stage biopharmaceutical company that acquires and develops innovative products for the treatment of various indications in cancer and the central nervous system (CNS), including orphan indications. The headquarters of the company are located near Zurich, Switzerland. Being a healthcare-oriented global group of companies, SELLAS has embraced all major aspects of the healthcare industry. Our core team is highly experienced in developing drugs and vaccines throughout all stages of the product's life cycle to the point of approval, marketing, and commercialization, pricing, and reimbursement, as well as third party out-licensing deals.

Our management team has a proven track record of drug discovery and development, and successful clinical trial coordination. In addition, the team has been involved in bringing previous companies to the German DAX and US NASDAQ stock markets, successful out-licensing of drug candidates, co-development, R&D partnership with big pharma, and creating multiple alliances with centers of excellence to accelerate drug discovery and development. The management team has also developed cost-effective and time efficient ways of developing drug candidates to value inflection points.

Presently, there are two phase 2 products to enter clinical trials in Europe and the USA in 2014 and 2015 across five indications in cancer and CNS.

WT1 protein is a transcription factor that is not generally expressed in adult tissues, but reappears in a large number of cancers, as well as in certain cancer stem cells. The WT1 protein is not drugable by traditional approaches, but it can be targeted by the immune system, in particular by CD4 T cells and CD8 T cells. A number of different peptide sequences from the WT1 protein have been identified as being immunogenic and capable of stimulating cytotoxic T cells that will kill WT1 expressing cancer cells. The WT1 vaccine was assembled from a set of immunogenic peptides that are capable of stimulating both CD4 and CD8 T cells. In addition, key amino acids from some of these peptides have been modified to improve their immunogenicity. The WT1 peptides in the vaccine are administered in combination with an immunologic adjuvant and an immune stimulant to improve the immune response to the target. Initial studies with the vaccine were conducted in patients with myeloid leukemias and thoracic cancers, such as lung cancer and mesothelioma. Based on encouraging results in these initial studies, additional phase 2 trials were launched in hematopoietic cancers and solid tumors. Results of these initial studies have shown the vaccine is well-tolerated and capable of inducing an immune response to the peptide. Patients enrolled in the acute myeloid leukemia trials have shown prolonged survival following vaccination.

Next to the WT1 vaccine for hematological malignancies and solid tumors, in-licensed by Memorial Sloan Kettering, SELLAS has the zolpidem asset for various CNS basal ganglia disorders, including Parkinson's Disease (PD) and the orphan indication Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP), which SELLAS intends to develop via the expedited 505 (b)(II) regulatory path and as a fast-track product. The phase two program will be initiated around Q4 2014 for the orphan indication Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) and followed thereafter for Parkinsons Disease (PD).  Due to high efficacy doses, SELLAS will implement a REMS (Risk Mitigation Safety) program. Numerous peer-reviewed journals have already published data supporting that the use of this drug is indeed highly effective and safe in patients with PD as well as with PSP.

Media Contacts:

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SOURCE SELLAS Life Sciences Group