APEIRON shareholders approve new group structure geared towards enabling innovation and growth

invIOs GmbH

invIOs becomes fully separate entity focused on advancing its unique EPiC cell therapy platform and clinical-stage immuno-oncology pipeline

VIENNA, Austria, April 26, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- APEIRON Biologics AG announces that the annual general meeting held yesterday has approved the new structure of the group through the demerger of its preclinical and clinical development activities and the creation of a new fully separate holding company, invIOs Holding AG.

The approved demerger of APEIRON Biologics AG's 100% shareholding in invIOs GmbH (invIOs) leads to the foundation of invIOs Holding AG, which bundles the operations of its wholly owned subsidiaries, invIOs GmbH and APEIRON Respiratory Therapies GmbH (AResT). Shareholders in APEIRON Biologics AG will be granted shares in invIOs Holding AG pro rata to their current shareholdings in APEIRON Biologics AG.

invIOs will continue to focus on developing novel immuno-oncology treatments for difficult-to-treat cancers with its cell therapy platform EPiC (Enhancement Platform for immune Cells) and clinical-stage lead asset, APN401. AResT will drive the development of APN01, currently being developed for the treatment of COVID-19 and other respiratory and pulmonary indications.

APEIRON Biologics AG continues to hold the IP and license for its marketed product, Qarziba® (APN311), which is globally licensed to EUSA Pharma Ltd.

Peter Llewellyn-Davies, CEO of invIOs, commented: “Our highly experienced team, with a core competency in immuno-oncology and a proven track record of successfully developing drugs and bringing them to market, is already hard at work advancing our novel programs in difficult-to-treat cancers with the goal of bringing important new treatment options to very sick patients.

“The new group structure approved by the AGM is an important step forward in enabling our innovation and growth, and we are grateful to our shareholders for their ongoing support. We believe this new structure will facilitate invIOs’ access to funding from international specialist life science investors and partners, enabling the full potential of our exciting immuno-oncology pipeline to be realized.”

About invIOs

invIOs is a privately held biotech company based in Vienna, Austria, focused on the discovery and development of innovative cancer immunotherapies. The proprietary cell therapy technology platform EPiC (Enhancement Platform for immune Cells) for the silencing of intracellular IO targets, enables rapid treatment of patients using their own cells by employing short out-of-body times in an outpatient setting. The novel concept allows access to and treatment for indications that have not previously been addressable by cell therapy.

APN401 is the first clinical-stage candidate based on invIOs’ EPiC cell therapy platform. The clinical program is a first-in-class ambulatory autologous transient cell therapy to strengthen immune reactivity via an intracellular master checkpoint inhibitor, Cbl-b. APN401 is currently being evaluated in a Phase 1b clinical trial in patients with advanced solid tumors.

The second candidate from the platform is INV441, a preclinical-stage cell therapy program aiming to activate tumor-associated immune cells.

Thirdly, the orally administered small molecule candidate INV501 is being developed to target tumor-specific immune activation via a different entry point.

For further information, visit www.invios.com and connect with us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

About APEIRON Respiratory Therapies GmbH (AResT)

AResT is a 100% subsidiary of invIOs GmbH focused on the discovery and development of innovative treatments for respiratory diseases.

AResT is developing APN01 (rhsACE2, alunacedase alfa), a soluble recombinant version of the SARS-CoV-2 cell entry receptor ACE2. APN01 has shown potential clinical benefits for COVID-19 in a completed double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 2 trial and has potential in other respiratory diseases such as acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). APN01 is currently being developed for inhalation.

About APEIRON Biologics AG

APEIRON Biologics is a privately held biotech company based in Vienna, Austria. APEIRON received EU marketing approval for APN311 (dinutuximab beta, Qarziba®) in 2017 for the treatment of pediatric neuroblastoma patients and out-licensed global, exclusive rights for this product to EUSA Pharma Ltd.

For further information please contact:

invIOs GmbH
Peter Llewellyn-Davies
CEO/CFO
Email: investors@invios.com
www.invios.com

Media and Investor Relations
MC Services AG
Raimund Gabriel, Laurie Doyle, Andreas Jungfer
Email: invios@mc-services.eu
Europe: +49-89-210-2280
US: +1-339-832-0752

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Information set forth in this press release contains forward-looking statements, which involve a number of risks and uncertainties. The forward-looking statements contained herein represent the judgement of APEIRON, invIOs and related companies as of the date of this press release. Such forward-looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees but are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, and which could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in these forward-looking statements. We expressly disclaim any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any such statements.