NewLink Genetics Announces Exclusive Worldwide License Agreement with Ellipses Pharma for Development of and Rights to Commercialization of NLG207

AMES, Iowa, Dec. 23, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NewLink Genetics Corporation (NASDAQ:NLNK) announced today that the company has entered into an exclusive worldwide license agreement with Ellipses Pharma Limited (Ellipses) for the development of and rights to commercialize NLG207 (formerly CRLX101), a nanoparticle formulation of the topoisomerase 1 inhibitor camptothecin. This license agreement signed by NewLink Genetics and Ellipses is effective as of December 17, 2019. Under the terms of the agreement, Ellipses purchased NewLink’s inventory of NLG207 related materials, and NewLink will have the potential to receive future royalty payments or a share of any future economics related to NLG207.  As part of the license agreement, Ellipses also gained the rights to develop and commercialize CRLX-301, a nanoparticle formulation of docetaxel that has completed a Phase 1a study.

“We are pleased to announce today this license agreement with Ellipses for NLG207, a compound which showed encouraging Phase 2 results in refractory ovarian cancer as presented at  the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) conference in April 2019,” commented Eugene Kennedy, MD, Chief Medical Officer and member of NewLink’s Office of the CEO. “We are delighted that this agreement provides a path forward for this promising agent while allowing NewLink to focus on our core priorities.”

Dr. Rajan Jethwa, Chief Executive Officer and a founder of Ellipses, commented: “We are excited to have reached an agreement with NewLink on a worldwide license for NLG207. Our Scientific Affairs Group confirmed that this compound has shown some encouraging signs in Phase 2 trials and has the potential to improve the standard of care for patients with ovarian cancer that recurs after initial treatment.” Dr Jethwa continued, “Our dedicated clinical trials team is eager to rapidly progress the development of this compound for patients suffering from a devastating disease and who currently have relatively few treatment options.”

About Ellipses Pharma Limited

Ellipses Pharma is a global drug development company focused exclusively on the development of innovative cancer medicines and treatments.  Ellipses’ world class management team leverages the experience and expertise of one of the world’s largest cancer-focused key opinion leader groups to select, in-license and fund development of the most promising scientific discoveries. Its worldwide reach and asset-focused approach transforms the clinical trials’ process to make the very best drugs and therapies available to patients with cancer at speed.  For more information, please visit https://ellipses.life/.