Under the agreement, CCRI and SIOPEN licensed Apeiron to further develop the drug which is indicated for the treatment of high-risk neuroblastoma.
The agreement also allows Apeiron for seeking regulatory approvals and marketing ch14.18 in the future.
The antibody specifically targets the antigen GD2, a feature on the surface of neuroblastoma cells and thereby initiates an immune reaction against these cells.
Apeiron will support the ongoing European clinical Phase III trial of ch14.18
CCRI Clinical Studies coordination center head Ruth Ladenstein and SIOP European president St. Anna Kinderspital said they will take the final steps of development for an urgently needed therapy against high-risk neuroblastoma.
"By applying immune therapy and other treatment improvements, we hope to increase the chances of survival for children with high-risk neuroblastoma by 30%, thereby rendering future survival rates of 60-70% realistic," Ladenstein and Kinderspital said.