YM BioSciences Inc.

Presenter: David Allan, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Company Information

Company Type: Other

Development Stage: Public

Company Profile

YM BioSciences Inc. is a life sciences product development company. The Company is currently developing four late-stage products: nimotuzumab, an EGFR-targeting Affinity-Optimized Antibody; CYT387, a highly selective JAK 1/2 small molecule inhibitor, CYT997, an orally bioavailable, potent, vascular disrupting agent (VDA) and AeroLEF®, a proprietary, inhaled-delivery composition of free and liposome-encapsulated fentanyl.

Nimotuzumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody in development worldwide, targeting multiple tumor types primarily in combination with radiation and chemoradiation. It is importantly differentiated from all other currently marketed EGFR-targeting agents due to its remarkably benign side-effect profile. Nimotuzumab's anti-tumor activity has led to its approval for marketing in 23 countries. In more than 9,000 patients reported as having been treated with nimotuzumab worldwide to date, Grade IV incidents of radiation dermatitis and incidents of severe rash have been only rarely observed and reports of the other severe side-effects that are typical of EGFR-targeting molecules have been equally rare. Nimotuzumab is licensed to YM's majority-owned, Canadian subsidiary, CIMYM BioSciences Inc., by CIMAB S.A., and was developed at the Center of Molecular Immunology. The clinical stage products discovered by Cytopia Ltd (YM Australia since January 2010) include the JAK 1/2 inhibitor, CYT387, and the novel VDA molecule, CYT997. Both were developed internally at Cytopia from research led by Dr. Andrew Wilks who discovered and named the Janus kinases. Cytopia's earlier stage portfolio includes a JAK3 program that was the subject of a research collaboration underwritten by Novartis that concluded in 2009 with any further development residing exclusively with Novartis; an ongoing collaborative research project with the Melbourne-based Cooperative Research Centre for Cancer Therapeutics (CRC CTx) for the development of Cytopia's inhibitors of Focal Adhesion Kinase (FAK), a protein implicated in progression and metastasis of numerous solid tumors; and a novel series of compounds that inhibit the kinase FMS which have been demonstrated to have excellent potency and selectivity. Approximately 4,000 additional novel compounds have been amassed from Cytopia's own research and are being reviewed. YM's other discovery programs include the Intellimab® platform of uniquely optimized antibodies designed to selectively target cancer cells resulting in improvements to the safety profiles of antibodies and the consequent prospect of their conjugation to highly potent toxins for safe delivery to tumour tissue. YM is also developing AeroLEF® for the treatment of moderate to severe acute pain. The product is differentiated from other approaches using opioids because patients are able to individually control the analgesia required for their differing intensities of pain. AeroLEF has met all endpoints in each of its trials including a randomized Phase II trial and is currently being prepared for late-stage development internationally.

Management Team

David Allan, Chairman &CEO;
Vera Belaoussoff, Director, Preclinical & Scientific Policy;
Melanie DuBois, Director, Quality Assurance;
Gary Floyd, VP, Operations;
David Kennard, Director, European Operations;
Leonardo Nicacio, Director, Clinical Affairs;
German Rogés, Country Manager;
Vince Salvatori, President & COO, CIMYM BioSciences Inc.;
Sean Thompson, VP, Corporate Development & GM, IntelliMab;
Len Vernon, VP, Finance & Administration;
Mark Vincent, Director, Investigational Oncology
Andrew Yoshioka, VP, AeroLEF® Division

Presenter Bio

Mr. Allan has been Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation since April 1998 and Chairman of the board of directors of the Corporation since 1994. In addition, Mr. Allan is a Director of Synthemed Inc. (medical devices), USA and DiaMedica Inc. (diabetes therapeutics), Canada. In 1992 he founded the Knowledge-Based Industries Group of a Canadian investment banking firm, organized as the first in Canada involved in financing, analyzing and creating strategic alliances for life sciences and information technology companies, where he was Executive Director until 1998. Mr. Allan was formerly a governor of The Toronto Stock Exchange, a member, and working group Chair of the Ontario Biotechnology Advisory Board, the Awards Selection Committee for the Networks of Centres of Excellence in Canada and of the Board of Trustees for the Ontario College of Art and Design. Mr. Allan is currently a member of BioteCanada's Emerging Companies Advisory Board.

Contact

YM BioSciences Inc.
5045 Orbitor Dr. Building 11, Suite 400
Mississauga
ON, Canada
L4W 4Y4

ph: (905) 629-9761
fx: (905) 629-4959

www.ymbiosciences.com
dallan@ymbiosciences.com