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				Sangamo BioSciences Licenses Proprietary Oncolytic Vector Technology from Onyx Pharmaceuticals RICHMOND, Calif., Dec 17, 2003 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via Comtex/ -- Sangamo BioSciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: SGMO) announced today that the company has exclusively licensed rights to Onyx's oncolytic adenovirus vector technology to develop an Armed Therapeutic Virus(TM) (ATV(TM)) that encodes a zinc finger DNA binding protein. In its initial application, Sangamo will engineer the ATV(TM) to express zinc finger DNA binding protein transcription factors (ZFP TFs) designed to upregulate the expression of granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), a powerful activator of the immune system shown to augment anti-tumor immune responses. “The granting of this license enables Sangamo to continue to pursue a program the we initiated in collaboration with Onyx in 2001 to develop a novel therapeutic approach to treat metastatic cancer,” said Edward Lanphier, Sangamo’s president and chief executive officer. “We have a significant interest in seeing this program move forward as we believe that the combination of these two technology platforms has the potential to generate novel cancer therapies to treat patients with metastatic disease.” The license agreement provides Sangamo with exclusive worldwide rights for all therapeutic uses of the ATV(TM) encoding ZFP TFs that regulate the expression of any endogenous human gene. Under the terms of the agreement, Sangamo will have full rights and responsibility for research and commercial development of the ZFP TF ATV(TM). Onyx will receive milestone payments as products advance into clinical testing and will receive royalties on product sales. “We believe that the ZFP TF ATV(TM) will enable us to treat cancer both at the tumor site and systemically and may have significant efficacy and production advantages over existing cancer vaccines,” commented Tyler Martin, M.D. Sangamo’s vice president, development. “The data that Sangamo scientists have generated in model systems using our ZFP TF activators of GM-CSF are very encouraging, and we are eager to continue development of this novel therapeutic and ultimately to advance this program into the clinic.” The Onyx oncolytic vectors are adenoviruses that selectively replicate in cancer cells but not in normal cells. Virus replication kills the cancer cells and causes them to burst, or lyse, releasing newly made virus that can in turn infect and replicate in other cancer cells. ATV(TM) is an oncolytic vector engineered to express a therapeutic gene. Using Onyx's technology, Sanagmo will express a ZFP TF. The first product under development by Sangamo will be engineered to express a ZFP TF designed to up regulate the expression of GM- CSF. The GM-CSF ATV(TM) would be injected directly into a solid tumor where the virus would replicate in the cancerous cells, lysing and killing them. During virus replication, the ZFP TF would be expressed causing production and secretion of GM-CSF from the cancer cells. GM-CSF has been shown to be a powerful activator of the immune system and when released from the infected cancer cell could attract antigen-presenting cells to the site of the tumor and elicit the production of systemic tumor-specific immunity. Establishment of a systemic immune response in the patient enables the treatment of distant tumor metastases as well as the originally injected tumor. About Sangamo Sangamo Biosciences, Inc. is focused on the research and development of novel transcription factors for therapeutic gene regulation and repair. The company’s most advanced therapeutic development program involves the use of transcription factors for the treatment of peripheral arterial disease. Other therapeutic development programs are focused on ischemic heart disease, cancer, neuropathic pain, and monogenic diseases. Sangamo’s core competencies enable the engineering of a class of transcription factors known as zinc finger DNA binding proteins (ZFPs). By engineering ZFPs that recognize a specific DNA sequence Sangamo has created ZFP transcription factors (ZFP TFs) that can control gene expression and consequently, cell function. Sangamo is also developing sequence-specific ZFP nucleases (ZFNs) for therapeutic gene correction as a treatment and possible cure for a variety of monogenic diseases such as severe combined immunodeficiency, sickle cell anemia and chronic granulatomous disease. For more information about Sangamo, visit the company’s web site at www.sangamo.com or www.expressinglife.com. This press release may contain forward-looking statements based on Sangamo’s current expectations. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, references to the research and development of novel ZFP TFs, ZFNs and therapeutic applications of Sangamo’s ZFP technology platform. Actual results may differ materially from these forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, including technological challenges, Sangamo’s ability to develop commercially viable products and technological developments by our competitors. See the company’s SEC filings, and in particular, the risk factors described in the company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K and its most recent 10-Q. Sangamo assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking information contained in this press release. SOURCE Sangamo BioSciences, Inc. Elizabeth Wolffe, Ph.D. of Sangamo BioSciences, Inc., +1-510-970-6000, ext. 271, or ewolffe@sangamo.com http://www.prnewswire.com back to top
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