Arecor Awarded Biomedical Catalyst Funding Towards £1.3 Million Project

Cambridge, England (ots/PRNewswire) -

Cambridge biotech company Arecor has been awarded GBP785,000 from
the government-backed Biomedical Catalyst Fund to accelerate the
development of high concentration antibodies to allow more convenient
administration of our future therapeutic medicines and reduce
healthcare costs. Arecor has recently demonstrated Proof of Concept
in developing stable aqueous formulations of a number of high
concentration monoclonal antibodies.

The award was announced by Technology Strategy Board on Sunday,
4th November 2012 and is one of 32 projects awarded funding totalling
GBP39 million. These are the first substantial awards made from the
GBP180 million Biomedical Catalyst programme managed by the
Technology Strategy Board and the Medical Research Council.

Arecor is a pioneer in the stabilisation of biologic molecules, a
key challenge in the development of many therapeutic proteins,
vaccines and diagnostics. Many proteins, peptides or vaccines are too
unstable in liquid form to develop ready-to-use drugs or are unstable
at high concentrations. Arecor has developed a set of unique
technologies to address these problems with the potential to
revolutionise the development, use and distribution of the next
generation of therapeutic medicines.

Tom Saylor, CEO of Arecor, said the award will go towards a
GBP1.3 million project to drive forward their innovative research:

"Arecor is delighted to have been awarded an inaugural Biomedical
Catalysts funding from the Technology Strategy Board which justifies
our position as a leader in the field of stable aqueous formulation
and confidence in our platform for stabilising anitbody therapies at
high concentration, as well as recognising the expertise of our
dedicated scientists."

David Willetts, Minister for Universities and Science, said:

"Britain is in a global race today and this GBP39 million
investment will help keep us at the very forefront of life sciences
by supporting some of our most innovative SMEs and universities. It
will help take excellent ideas through to market, driving growth and
helping patients benefit from the very latest technologies and
treatments."

The ground breaking work carried out using Arecor's patented
formulation technology can enable new and better medicines and
vaccines. From its work on over 60 biological molecules, Arecor has
developed proprietary technologies to address most of the pathways
that lead these products to degrade in storage.

Arecor's unique technology also enables the development of high
concentration forms of antibodies to simplify and reduce the costs of
current treatments, which currently require visits to hospitals for
administration. This will enable a shift from unsatisfactory
outpatient intravenous infusions presently used in clinics to the
provision of a ready-to-use autoinjector or simple injection. The
benefits of self-administration include increased treatment
satisfaction, convenience and improved healthcare costs.

Iain Gray, Chief Executive of the Technology Strategy Board,
added:

"We have been hugely impressed by the number and quality of
applications, which just goes to show the strength, vitality and
innovative spirit of the UK's world-leading life sciences industry.
By providing vital finance to help at least some of these companies
to evaluate, develop and demonstrate their exciting healthcare
innovations, the Biomedical Catalyst is helping to turn promising
ideas into innovative technologies faster, so providing greater
benefits to patients through improvements in health outcomes."

Notes to Editors:

1. Further information about Arecor can be found out:
http://www.arecor.com

2. For media enquiries, please contact Arecor press officer Ellee
Seymour on +44(0)1353-648565

3. For Business Development enquiries, please contact Guy Hill on
info@arecor.com

ots Originaltext: Arecor
Im Internet recherchierbar: http://www.presseportal.de

Contact:
Arecor press officer Ellee Seymour: +44(0)7939-811961