ORCA Therapeutics granted Chinese Patent covering its T1 oncolytic adenovirus technology

March 22, 2014

Amsterdam, The Netherlands – March 20th, 2013 – ORCA Therapeutics BV, a pioneer in the development of innovative virotherapies for treatment of cancer, announces today that it has secured key intellectual property rights for its T1 oncolytic adenovirus technology. The State Intellectual Property Office of China issued core patent 200880008280.3 entitled “Adenovirus with mutations in the endoplasmic reticulum retention domain of the E3-19K protein and their use in cancer treatment”. The claims broadly cover oncolytic adenoviruses based on the T1 technology displaying improved potency to kill cancer cells.

“We are excited to be granted this patent for a key component of our lead product ORCA-010 that is being developed for prostate cancer” said Janneke Meulenberg, Chief Executive Officer of ORCA Therapeutics.”This patent is critical to our intellectual property strategy for protecting oncolytic adenovirus technologies in the world’s largest markets. The Chinese market is of specific interest to us, as China has approved the world’s first oncolytic virus therapy for treatment of cancer in 2005”. Besides this Chinese patent and the previously granted European patent (EP2137301 B1), several other family members are currently processed worldwide.

T1 technology

Oncolytic adenoviruses represent a promising new approach for treatment of cancer. These viruses can destroy cancer cells while leaving normal cells undisturbed, thereby minimizing side effects. Owing to their ability to self-replicate within the cancer cell, oncolytic adenoviruses have unique pharmacokinetic properties that set them apart from conventional small molecule or monoclonal antibody-based therapeutics. The T1 technology provides a novel mechanism to increase the release of adenoviruses from infected tumor cells. A team led by Dr Ramon Alemany and Dr Manel Cascallo from the Catalan Institute of Oncology identified a unique mutation in the endoplasmic reticulum retention domain of the adenovirus E3/19K protein (445A mutation). This mutation causes enhanced oncolytic potency in human tumors and cancer-associated fibroblasts in vitro and enhanced anti-tumor activity when injected intra-tumorally or systemically in different cancer models in vivo (Gros et al., Cancer Research 2008). In 2009, ORCA Therapeutics entered a license agreement with VCN Biosciences and acquired the world wide rights on the T1 technology, which also includes the right to sublicense.

About ORCA Therapeutics

ORCA Therapeutics BV is a biopharmaceutical company developing a pipeline of innovative anticancer therapies based on the highly promising approach of Oncolytic Replication Competent Agents (ORCA). ORCA Therapeutics’ technology and IP portfolio originates from the research performed at the Department of Medical Oncology of the VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The company has a platform of technologies that are based on highly engineered oncolytic adenoviruses. ORCA Therapeutics is currently preparing its lead product ORCA-010 for testing in prostate cancer patients.

Janneke J.M. Meulenberg, PhD MBA

Chief Executive Officer

ORCA Therapeutics B.V.

P.O. Box 7057

1007 MB Amsterdam

The Netherlands

T +31-204441826

E meulenberg@orca-therapeutics.com