PDS Biotechnology Corporation Finalizes Commercial Licensing Agreement with Merck Eprova AG

PDS Biotechnology today announced that the company has obtained an exclusive license from Merck Eprova AG to utilize Merck Eprova's proprietary chiral lipid DOTAP Chloride in Versamune(TM)-HPV and other products in development based on the Versamune(TM) technology. The use of enantiomerically pure DOTAP Chloride shows enhanced adjuvant activity compared to the racemate. Merck Eprova AG will be providing enantiomerically pure DOTAP Chloride manufactured under cGMP for use in clinical and commercial drug products developed with PDS Biotechnology's Versamune(TM) nanoparticle technology. PDS Biotechnology will own the intellectual property rights to products incorporating the chiral DOTAP lipids for immunotherapeutic applications.

Versamune(TM)-HPV is an immunotherapy drug which has demonstrated significant promise in curing HPV infection and HPV-related cancer in preclinical animal and human model studies. Cancers caused by infection with the human papilloma virus (HPV) include cervical, head and neck and anal cancers. No cures exist for these cancers. Based on promising in vivo and in vitro efficacy data, PDS Biotechnology has been awarded grants by the US National Institutes of Health/National Cancer Institute to develop Versamune(TM)-HPV and Versamune(TM)-Melanoma. Versamune(TM)-Melanoma is being developed to treat melanoma, which is the most aggressive form of skin cancer.

PDS Biotechnology's Versamune(TM) nanotechnology facilitates the uptake of disease-associated protein and peptide antigens by the antigen-presenting cells of the immune system. Simultaneously it acts as a strong immune system activator (adjuvant) without the inflammatory side effects induced by current adjuvants. The result is simple, safe and cost effective nanotechnology-based drugs and vaccines that induce effective eradication of the specific cells infected with, or expressing the particular protein formulated with Versamune(TM).