BOSTON, May 14, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- EPIRUS Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq:EPRS) and mAbxience, a biopharmaceutical company specialized in research, development and manufacturing of biosimilars, entered into a development and future distribution deal for EPIRUS' lead program, BOW015 (infliximab, reference biologic Remicade®), for Latin American markets, including Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela.
mAbxience is a wholly-owned subsidiary of CHEMO Group, a well-established global healthcare corporation. CHEMO Group generates over $1 billion in annual revenues with 5,000 professionals across 40 countries.
Leveraging the CHEMO Group's infrastructure, mAbxience will be responsible for regulatory submissions, using BOW015's existing data package, and eventual commercialization in these select Latin American markets.
"We are pleased to work with a strong regional partner to register and commercialize our infliximab biosimilar," stated Amit Munshi, president and chief executive officer, EPIRUS Biopharmaceuticals. "We are committed to improving patient access to biosimilars globally and believe mAbxience has the right focus and infrastructure in these markets to advance this important medicine."
"This is an exciting development for both companies. We are confident in our ability to execute and advance BOW015, given the high quality of the existing data package and our expertise within these regions," said Carlos Bañado, chief executive officer, mAbxience.
About mAbxience
mAbxience is a global fully integrated biopharmaceutical company specialized in research, development and manufacturing of biosimilars for the treatment and/or prevention of several diseases in diverse therapeutic areas. mAbxience is acting worldwide, creating a broad and balanced presence in all major pharmaceutical markets to address global opportunities and customers' needs, with full-line research and manufacturing capabilities and highly qualified professionals worldwide. mAbxience is a wholly-owned subsidiary of CHEMO Group, a well-established Spanish-based global healthcare corporation. For more information visit mAbxience website at http://www.mabxience.com.
About EPIRUS Biopharmaceuticals
EPIRUS Biopharmaceuticals (Nasdaq:EPRS) is a global biosimilar company focused on improving patient access to important medicines. EPIRUS' operationally synergistic pipeline of biosimilar product candidates includes BOW015 (infliximab), BOW050 (adalimumab) and BOW070 (tocilizumab). The reference products for these candidates -- Remicade®, Humira® and Actemra®, respectively -- together generated $23 billion in global sales for 2014, according to EvaluatePharma®. EPIRUS has developed distinct strategies to access its targeted markets with the goal to build a profitable and sustainable biosimilar business. For more information visit EPIRUS' website at www.epirusbiopharma.com.
Remicade is a registered trademark of Johnson and Johnson (www.jnj.com)
Humira is a registered trademark of AbbVie (www.abbvie.com)
Actemra is a registered trademark of Chugai Seiyaku Kabushiki Kaisha Corp., a member of the Roche Group (www.gene.com)
Forward-Looking Statements
Various statements in this release are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In addition, when or if used in this document, the words "may," "could," "should," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "plan," "predict" and similar expressions and their variants, as they relate to EPIRUS or its management may identify forward-looking statements. EPIRUS cautions that these forward-looking statements are subject to numerous assumptions, risks, and uncertainties, which change over time. Important factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements or historical experience include risks and uncertainties, including the failure by EPIRUS to secure and maintain relationships with collaborators and single-source contract manufacturers; risks relating to clinical trials; risks relating to the commercialization, if any, of EPIRUS' proposed product candidates (such as marketing, regulatory, product liability, supply, competition, and other risks); dependence on the efforts of third parties; dependence on intellectual property; risks related to the loss of any of EPIRUS' key management personnel; risks that EPIRUS may lack the financial resources and access to capital to fund proposed operations and other factors that are described in the "Risk Factors" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" sections of EPIRUS' annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014 which is on file with the SEC and available on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. In addition to the risks described above and in EPIRUS' annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and other filings with the SEC, other unknown or unpredictable factors also could affect EPIRUS' results. There can be no assurance that the actual results or developments anticipated by EPIRUS will be realized or, even if substantially realized, that they will have the expected consequences to, or effects on, EPIRUS. Therefore, no assurance can be given that the outcomes stated in such forward-looking statements and estimates will be achieved.
All written and verbal forward-looking statements attributable to EPIRUS or any person acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained or referred to herein. EPIRUS cautions investors not to rely too heavily on the forward-looking statements EPIRUS makes or that are made on its behalf. The information in this release is provided only as of the date of this release, and EPIRUS undertakes no obligation, and specifically declines any obligation, to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.