Date: 2011-10-11
Type of information: Grant
Company: The EUROCALIN Consortium The Consortium consists of Pieris AG (Germany), as project coordinator; Technische Universität München (Germany); Medical University of Innsbruck (Austria); Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre (Netherlands); Covance Laboratories Ltd. (UK); Antitope Ltd. (UK); FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies Ltd.UK Limited (UK); Coriolis Pharma Research GmbH (Germany); FGK Clinical Research GmbH (Germany); and ConsulTech GmbH (Germany).
Investors:
Amount: €6 million
Funding type: grant
Planned used: Anticalins are novel, next generation therapeutic proteins designed to bind and antagonize a wide spectrum of ligands. As funded by the grant, the Consortium will develop, manufacture and clinically test an Anticalin specific for hepcidin. Hepcidin, a small peptide circulating in human blood, is considered to be a key regulator of iron homeostasis and, therefore, an important target for the treatment of multiple types of anemia.
Others: The EUROCALIN Consortium, comprising 10 companies and universities from across Europe, has initiated a collaboration focused on attaining and completing initial clinical development of a novel Anticalin® therapeutic. The project will be funded in large part by the European Commission Seventh Framework Programme (FP7-Health.2011.1.4.3). EUROCALIN stands for “EUROpean Consortium for AntiCALINS as next generation high-affinity protein therapeutics”. The objective of the EUROCALIN Consortium is to advance a drug candidate, to date in preclinical development at Pieris AG, through to completion of a Phase I a/b clinical trial. With the total funding allotment of € six million, the grant is designed to fund the majority of the continuing development of the anti-hepcidin Anticalin program over the next four years, using the expertise of both academic and commercial organizations throughout Europe.
Therapeutic area:
