Madrid (September 4th, 2014). Leadartis, a privately held biotechnology company, is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Francisco Sanchez-Madrid as a member of its Scientific Advisory Board (SAB). Dr. Sanchez-Madrid together with the outstanding scientists and drug development professionals: Dr. L. Alvarez-Vallina, Dr. P. Kristensen, Dr. I. Melero and Dr. L.

In collaboration with prestigious academic institutions, LeadArtis´scientists demonstrated that single-chain fragment variable (scFv)-based N-terminal Trimerbody® molecules can be efficiently produced in the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris (P. pastoris) in a trimeric fully functional active form. The yield of scFv-based N-terminal Trimerbody® molecules expressed in P. pastoris was about 20-fold higher than in mammalian cells. New marketed therapeutic proteins produced in Pichia evidence the rising interest of P.

Current investors of LeadArtis and others have confirmed the release of additional funding to the company, which will enable acceleration of the development of the Trimerbody® protein engineering platform and drug candidates. The investor syndicate composed of three investment organizations with a strong biotech record continues to express strong confidence in LeadArtis platform and portfolio of new promising drug candidates.

European Framework programmes (FPs) are the European Union’s main instrument for funding European Medical Research. They support the creation of multidisciplinary networks designed to promote the collaboration of health-related industries and integrate European-wide research, “as well as build a ‘critical mass’ of expertise and excellence”.