Saniona, a leading biotech company in the field of ion channels and formerly known as Aniona, today announced a drug discovery and development collaboration with Pfizer. The collaboration focuses on research of medicines to treat neurological disorders, using Saniona’s expertise in ion channels and related technology platforms. Under the terms of the agreement, Pfizer will receive exclusive worldwide rights to research, develop, manufacture and commercialize medicines identified through the collaboration.

“This collaboration with Pfizer is a recognition of our research platform and expertise in ion channels”, said Jørgen Drejer Ph.D., CEO of Saniona. “The deal underscores our belief that Saniona’s technologies may offer a valuable approach to create potentially highly effective and specific human therapies based on small molecules.”

“The development of small molecule therapies based on the modulation of ion channels provides us opportunities in multiple areas of high unmet medical need,” said Ruth McKernan, Ph.D., Senior Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer of Neusentis, a Pfizer Research Unit in Cambridge, UK. “Pfizer is committed to advancing new treatment options for patients with difficult-to-manage neurological conditions.”

Dr. Drejer continued, “Through this deal we are supporting one of our business objectives of financing a part of the company’s research efforts by collaboration agreements with pharmaceutical companies. A research and development collaboration such as this with Pfizer, a leading pharmaceutical company, complements our internal proprietary product development efforts utilizing our unique ion channel platform.”

Under the terms of the agreement, Saniona is eligible to receive milestone payments upon the achievement of certain research and development milestones as well as royalties on any potential products developed and commercialized by Pfizer as a result of this collaboration. The total potential value of the pre-commercial milestone payments is up to $52 million.

About Saniona

Saniona is a leading biotech company in the field of ion channels. The company has a significant portfolio of potential drug candidates in pre-clinical and phase 1 clinical stage. Ion channels constitute a unique class of proteins that allow and control the passage of charged ions across the cell membrane. The company collaborates with global pharmaceutical companies such as Janssen and Pfizer. The Saniona team has developed research programs and drug candidates offering promise in transforming treatment of patients suffering from severe CNS diseases, inflammatory/autoimmune diseases and pain. Saniona is based in Copenhagen, Denmark where it has a research centre of high international standard. Read more at www.aniona.com

For more information please contact
Jørgen Drejer, CEO, Saniona, Mobile: +45 2028 9705, E-mail: [email protected]

Additional background data on Saniona

Saniona is a Danish research and development company focusing on drugs to treat diseases of the central nervous system and autoimmune diseases, as well as analgesics. The company’s roots are with NeuroSearch, which is listed on the Nasdaq OMX Copenhagen. In 2012, Saniona was bought out by its founders and NeuroSearch staff, along with a significant portfolio of research and drug projects including potential drug candidates in the preclinical phase or Phase 1, and over 15,000 chemical substances with their associated generic library.

Focus on ion channels Saniona’s research focuses on ion channels as an established target for drug development. Ion channels control muscles and nerves, which makes them central to the various functions of the body.

Through its inheritance from NeuroSearch, Saniona has one of the world’s most highlyqualified research teams, and around 200 million € has been invested in technical platforms and research projects over the past 20 years. Saniona has established networks with the world’s largest pharmaceuticals companies and research collaborations with some of the largest players in the global pharmaceuticals market, including Janssen Pharmaceuticals.

Since the buyout from NeuroSearch, substantial investments have been made in the new and fully-equipped research facility at Ballerup, outside Copenhagen, where the company also has its head office.

Experienced Board of Directors and management team Saniona’s Board of Directors and management team have a great deal of experience in the pharmaceuticals sector. The company’s CEO, Jørgen Drejer, is a co-founder and former Head of Research at NeuroSearch, and he was also one of the founders of Saniona. The Chairman of the Board is Claus Braestrup, whose previous appointments include CEO and Head of Research of the listed company H. Lundbeck.

The company is owned by its 22 founders and staff, and currently has a staff of 14. Sales totalled around mill€ 1,3 million in 2013.