DGAP-Adhoc

4SC Signs Licensing and Development Agreement with Menarini for Resminostat in Asia-Pacific Excluding Japan - Seite 2

China alone. HCC is currently the fifth most common cancer worldwide and
the third most common cause for cancer-related mortality. The incidence of
HCC cases globally is expected to grow strongly from about 700,000 per year
in 2014 to over 1 million in 2030 (source: Globocan).

Enno Spillner, Chief Executive Officer of 4SC, said: 'We are delighted to
be entering into this partnership with Menarini. This is a further step in
the clinical development of our lead compound resminostat for Asia, which
is an important market with significant and growing medical need - in
particular in the indication of liver cancer. Menarini, a multinational
pharma player of European origin, has a strong footprint in the APAC
region. We are convinced that Menarini AP, with its vast commercial
experience in Asia and broad capabilities in clinical development and
regulatory processes, is a perfect partner for us - and an ideal complement
to our existing resminostat partner Yakult Honsha in Japan.'

John Graham, Chief Executive of Menarini AP commented, 'Oncology represents
a strategic area of focus for the Menarini Group. We are delighted to be
embarking on a partnership with 4SC in Asia on resminostat that offers
promise as a therapeutic option in liver cancer, among others, one of the
most prevalent forms of cancer in Asia and one with the highest unmet
need.'

About Resminostat

Resminostat (4SC-201), 4SC's lead oncology compound, is an oral
histone-deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor with an innovative epigenetic
mechanism of action that potentially enables the compound to be deployed as
a novel, targeted tumour therapy for a broad spectrum of oncological
indications, in particular in combination with other cancer drugs.

Like other epigenetic therapies, resminostat has been shown to modify
transcription of genes in cancer cells and, thereby, to reprogram the
phenotypes of such cancer cells. Resminostat is therefore assumed to be
able to halt tumour progression and induce tumour regression. Furthermore,
due to its epigenetic mode of action resminostat is supposed to develop
additional synergetic effects when combined with classical cancer therapies
and thus also fight the development of tumour cell resistance. For example,
in preclinical trials, resminostat has shown that it effectively inhibits
epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). EMT, which may be promoted through
the administration of certain conventional cancer therapies, leads to the
formation of particularly aggressive tumour cells, which ultimately may