Cytheris Receives EUR 1.5 Million ($2.3 Million) from OSEO for HCV Clinical Development Program

Potential of Interleukin-7 as an Immunotherapy

PARIS–(EMWNews)–Cytheris SA, a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on

research and development of new therapies for immune modulation, today

announced that OSEO, France’s national agency for industrial innovation,

has awarded the company with a no interest loan of €1.5

million, or $2.3 million, to support its ongoing clinical development

program in hepatitis C (HCV).

The OSEO award will provide partial funding for the HCV clinical

development program of the Company’s lead

product, recombinant human Interleukin-7 (r-hIL-7), a critical growth

factor for immune T-cell recovery and enhancement. Clinical trials

conducted on more than 75 patients in Europe, the United States and

Canada have demonstrated the potential of r-hIL-7 to expand and protect

CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells. Cytheris is currently conducting multiple

international clinical studies of IL-7 in HCV, HIV and cancer.

“These awards are highly competitive and we

are delighted that OSEO has singled out Cytheris, not only because of

the financial implications but also because the stringent criteria

applied in selecting the small number of award winners bring added

credibility to our innovative IL-7 investigative product and its

potential therapeutic application,” said

Michel Morre, DVM, President and CEO of Cytheris. “OSEO

funding previously played an instrumental role at the Company’s

foundation in the form of a now fully reimbursed loan to support the

initial IL-7 studies which allowed us to reach the credibility needed to

attract venture capital. This new OSEO support provided for our HCV

study will partially cover the manufacturing, clinical studies and

personnel costs associated with the program as well as its expansion to

include additional clinical sites in Asia.”

About OSEO

Established by the French Government to support the growth and

development of innovative small and medium enterprises (SMEs) throughout

France, OSEO aids and funds SMEs at the riskiest phases of their

development. Its subsidiary, OSEO Innovation provides aid for

technology-driven research projects with genuine potential for

commercialization. Support is provided in the form of loans to be

reimbursed if a project is commercially successful.

About Cytheris – www.cytheris.com

Cytheris SA is a privately held clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company

focused on research and development of new therapies for immune

modulation. These drugs aim at reconstituting and enhancing the immune

system of patients suffering from cancer, chronic viral or bacterial

infections such as HCV and HIV, or lympho-depleting treatments such as

chemotherapy, radiotherapy, bone marrow transplantation (BMT) and

hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT).

The company operates from its headquarters and laboratories in

Issy-les-Moulineaux, a suburb of Paris, and its U.S. subsidiary in

Rockville, Maryland.

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