Igyxos and Selexis Enter Service Agreement to Advance Igyxos’ First-In-Class Monoclonal Antibody for the Treatment of Human Infertility

GENEVA & NOUZILLY, France--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Selexis SA and Igyxos announced today that they have entered into a service agreement to develop Igyxos’ first-in-class monoclonal antibody (mAb) drug candidate for the treatment of human infertility. Under the agreement, Igyxos will utilize Selexis’ proprietary SUREtechnology Platform™ to rapidly develop the research cell banks (RCBs) necessary to advance the program to human trials.

Globally, infertility affects approximately 100 million women and men.^1,2 In many cases, infertility is related to disorder in gonadotropins, which are hormones responsible for regulating the reproductive cycle. Therapeutic gonadotropins to treat infertility have been the standard of care since the 1960s. By developing a first-in-class mAb that boosts the bioactivity of endogenous and exogenous gonadotropins, Igyxos aims to significantly improve the therapeutic management of men and women suffering from infertility.

“Selexis is thrilled to play a part in Igyxos’ novel therapeutic approach to male and female infertility with an effective treatment that may overcome the long-standing challenges of current methods of addressing the issue,” said Yemi Onakunle, PhD, MBA, Selexis chief business officer. “As experts in cell line development, we are able to quickly and cost-effectively deliver the high-expressing, stable and production-ready research cell banks necessary to help Igyxos reach the clinic faster and gain a competitive edge. We look forward to embarking upon this exciting collaboration.”

Current infertility management remains unsatisfactory with low success rates (only 50% of treated couples have a child after four cycles of hormonal treatments on average), expensive and cumbersome medical treatment protocols with gonadotropins (several injections per week for up to 2 years in men) and low compliance (30% of patients stop during treatment).

“30 million men and 70 million women suffer from infertility worldwide, yet the prospect of a successful outcome remains limited due to a treatment landscape plagued by low success rates, challenging medical treatment protocols and low compliance,” said Pierre-Henry Longeray, CEO at Igyxos. “At Igyxos, we are working tirelessly to bring a new and long-overdue therapeutic option to address this important issue. With Selexis’ track record of success and innovative technologies, we’re excited to leverage their expertise for the advancement of our important drug development program.”

Selexis’ modular SUREtechnology Platform™ facilitates the rapid, stable, and cost-effective production of virtually any recombinant protein and provides seamless integration of the biologics development continuum, spanning discovery to commercialization.

About Selexis SA

Selexis SA, a JSR Life Sciences Company, is the global leader in cell line development with best-in-class modular technology and highly specialized solutions that enable the life sciences industry to rapidly discover, develop and commercialize innovative medicines and vaccines. Our global partners are utilizing Selexis technologies to advance more than 130 drug products in clinical development and the manufacture of seven commercial products. As part of a comprehensive drug development process, the Company’s technologies shorten development timelines and reduce manufacturing risks. More information is available at www.selexis.com.

About Igyxos

Igyxos’ mission is to develop new and innovative medical and pharmaceutical technologies in the field of human fertility. Igyxos is involved in all phases of development, from the discovery of promising targets to the identification of potential active compounds such as antibodies. The success of its €7.5 million Series A funding led by Bpifrance, through the FABS funds, alongside with Go Capital Amorçage II and Loire Valley Invest Funds managed by Go Capital and the Emergence Innovation II Fund managed by Sofimac Innovation, will allow Igyxos to develop its lead compound and reach clinical proof of concept. www.igyxos.com

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1} Boivin J, Bunting L, Collins JA, Nygren KG (2007) International estimates of infertility prevalence and treatment-seeking: potential need and demand for infertility medical care. Hum Reprod 22: 1506–1512.
² Agarwal A, Mulgund A, Hamada A, Chyatte MR (2015) A unique view on male infertility around the globe. Reprod Biol Endocrinol 13: 37.