OncoMax research received "FIRST PRIZE" award at EMUC- 2013

OncoMax research received "FIRST PRIZE" award at EMUC- 2013

OncoMax presented its research at the 5th European Multidisciplinary Meeting for Urological Cancer (EMUC), which was held on 15-17 November 2013 in Marseille, France. Dr. Ilya Tsimafeyeu, a scientific advisor of OncoMax, has received a special award for the best research “FIRST PRIZE” for his study "FGF- and VEGF-dependent angiogenesis and its targeting".

The main activity of OncoMax, financed with by Maxwell Biotech Venture Fund, set up with the participation of RVC OJSC and RVC Seed Fund, is directed at development and bringing innovative biopharmaceutical medicines for diagnostics and treatment of oncological diseases to the international market.

The research has showed that bevacizumab and sunitinib - standard targeted therapy for the kidney cancer treatment - inhibit VEGF-induced angiogenesis but not FGF-induced angiogenesis. The active FGF-pathway leads to resistance development and tumor progression. Importantly, the research also has proved that FGF-induced angiogenesis can be blocked by OM-RCA-01 – monoclonal antibody to FGF-receprtor.

This elegant study has a great practical importance and answers the question how to overcome drug resistance in kidney cancer therapy,” – emphasized co-chairman of the Organizing Comittee Dr. Martin Spahn during the award presentation.

EMUC is an annual meeting organized by three European medical societies – the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO), the European Association of Urology (EAU) and the European Society for Radiotherapy and European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO). The participants of this event are experts, clinical researchers and other professionals in the treatment of kidney cancer, bladder cancer and prostate cancer.

“We are pleased that the original Russian drug has been properly evaluated by the Organizing Committee of the EMUC-2013, one of the most significant events for the researches in the field of urological tumors, Ilya Tsimafeyeu mentioned, - We are planning to start the clinical study of OM-RCA-01 in the near future. The successful accomplishment of the clinical development program will enable us to bring a unique targeted anticancer drug that can improve the quality of patients’ life to international market.

The important research conducted by OncoMax has been supported by OncoMax investors – Maxwell Biotech Venture Fund, set up with the participation of RVC OJSC, and RVC Seed Fund.

About RVC Seed Fund
RVC Seed Fund, Ltd was established on 22nd of October 2009 in furtherance of the RVC Strategy.
Seed Fund founding members are RVC (99%) and Foundation for Assistance to Small Innovative Enterprises (1%).
The RVC Seed Fund is focused on investing into Russian innovative companies with high growth potential on Russian and foreign technology markets. The RVC Seed Fund goals are:
- promote seed capital in Russia;
- encourage development of the System of RVC Seed Fund Venture Partners in order to engage professional managers, experts and business angels to launch new companies;
- enable conditions to generate a deal flow to venture capital funds, including RVC backed funds;
- significantly more and better small technology businesses, which will subsequently apply for early and later stage venture capital.

About Maxwell Biotech Group
Maxwell Biotech Group (MBG) is a development partner and financial resource for innovative biotechnology companies. MBG provides investment capital and access to an established infrastructure for conducting high-quality clinical trials in Russia, and helps enable the rapid and cost-effective achievement of clinical objectives. Our unique business model can add value to our partners’ pipelines and provide a commercialization path to one of the most lucrative emerging markets. MBG relies on an experienced international team of managers and financial and industry experts. The Group includes 10 innovative biotechnological projects, developing in the portfolio companies: OncoMax, Photonics, MetaMax, Infectex, NeuroMax, CardioNova, Hepatera, Osteros Biomedica, Eleventa. All the group’s companies are the residents of the Biomed Cluster at Skolkovo Innovation Center and 5 of them are members of the Technology Platform “The Medicine of the Future”.
For further information, please contact
Anna Sitnikova, Chief public relations Expert “Maxwell Biotech Group”
Tel. (495) 411-6992
E-mail: sitnikova@maxwellbiotech.ru

About Oncomax
OncoMax is a private biotechnology company founded with the goal to develop and launch new diagnostic and therapeutic anti-cancer agents. The priority is given to search for new drug candidates in the therapeutic areas with high unmet need for health care efficacy. The first product — OM-RCA-01 — is a monoclonal antibody to treat renal cell carcinoma. Its new mechanism of action is based on the ability to inhibit alternative angiogenesis pathway including fibroblast growth factor receptor 1.