APEIRON Biologics and MaxCyte Enter into Clinical and Commercial Licensing Agreement for APN401

VIENNA and GAITHERSBURG, Md., July 8, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- APEIRON Biologics AG ("APEIRON"), a private biotechnology company specializing in the discovery, development and commercialization of novel immunotherapies for cancer and respiratory diseases, and MaxCyte, Inc., a global cell-based therapies and life sciences company, today announces the signing of a clinical and commercial licensing agreement.

APEIRON Biologics will obtain non-exclusive clinical and commercial rights to use MaxCyte's Flow Electroporation® technology and ExPERTtm platform for the advancement of APN401, a siRNA-based cell therapy currently in clinical development for various solid tumors. In return, MaxCyte will receive undisclosed development and approval milestones and sales-based payments in addition to other licensing fees.

"Securing access to MaxCyte's ExPERT platform and unique electroporation technology is a crucial next step in the clinical advancement of our lead checkpoint inhibition Cbl-b candidate APN401," said Peter Llewellyn-Davies, CEO of APEIRON Biologics.

Doug Doerfler, President & CEO of MaxCyte, said: "We are proud to support APEIRON in the development of a siRNA-based treatment that could help patients facing cancers with various forms of tumors. This agreement represents an important achievement for MaxCyte, and highlights the value of our next-generation technology platform to companies across the globe seeking to unlock the potential of their engineered cell therapy programs."

MaxCyte's ExPERT instrument portfolio represents the next generation of leading, clinically validated, electroporation technology for complex and scalable cell engineering. By delivering high transfection efficiency, seamless scalability and enhanced functionality, the ExPERT platform delivers the high-end performance essential to enable the next wave of biological and cellular therapeutics.

About APEIRON Biologics AG

APEIRON Biologics AG is a European private biotechnology company based in Vienna that specializes in the discovery, development and commercialization of novel immunotherapies for cancer and respiratory diseases. APEIRON's approved cancer drug Qarziba® is being marketed by EUSA Pharma Ltd.. With APN01, APEIRON is conducting a clinical trial in Europe for the treatment of COVID-19, for which market approval is being sought. APEIRON's APN401 clinical program is a "first-in-class" autologous cell therapy for strengthening immunoreactivity via the intra-cellular master checkpoint Cbl-b. APEIRON's products and technologies are based on a strong patent portfolio and partnerships with leading pharmaceutical companies and academic institutions. For more information, visit www.apeiron-biologics.com.

About MaxCyte

MaxCyte, the clinical-stage global cell-based therapies and life sciences company, uses its proprietary next-generation cell and gene therapies to revolutionise medical treatments and ultimately save lives. The Company's premier cell engineering enabling technology is currently being deployed by leading drug developers worldwide, including all of the top ten global biopharmaceutical companies. MaxCyte licenses have been granted to more than 100 cell therapy programs, with more than 70 licensed for clinical use, and the Company has now entered into eleven clinical/commercial license partnerships with leading cell therapy and gene editing developers. MaxCyte was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Gaithersburg, Maryland, US. For more information, visit www.maxcyte.com.

SOURCE MaxCyte, Inc.