Although periodontitis is a widespread infectious disease affecting around 30% of the global population, there are currently no effective treatments available — yet. PerioTrap Pharmaceuticals, a Fraunhofer IZI spin-off, has developed a novel treatment strategy that works to specifically eradicate the major bacterial pathogens of periodontitis, thereby tackling the root cause of the disease. With the help of bmp Ventures AG (through the IBG-Fonds), i&i Prague, Fraunhofer Venture and a strategic partner, PerioTrap now plans to advance its drug development programs. A world without effective antibiotics is becoming an increasingly realistic scenario. Every year, 700,000 people worldwide die of multi-resistant strains which cannot be treated with any of the existing antibiotics. The number of new developments is limited, and many of the major pharmaceutical companies have completely abandoned the field of anti-infectives. High development costs and the prospect of a drug that can be used only in restricted applications contribute to the unattractive reputation of the antibiotics business model. In turn, the valuable reserves that are still available are being used even more sparingly. The global viral pandemic has made it clear that we cannot continue to prioritize developments driven solely by commercial interests. With its new drug and innovative application procedure, PerioTrap Pharmaceuticals GmbH could not only drastically reduce the need for antibiotics. The selective mechanism that targets the major pathogens directly at the site of infection – the oral cavity – means that chronic conditions can be overcome while reducing systemic side effects at the same time. The key element of this strategy is an enzyme called glutaminyl cyclase (QC) type II, which is exclusively present within pathogenic bacteria of the oral biofilm where Porphyromonas gingivalis is the main catalyst of the disease. The seed investment will be used to optimize PerioTrap’s lead compound and progress its new prolonged-release pharmaceutical composition through clinical testing in order to apply for subsequent market approval. "We are looking forward to working with this experienced team of drug developers and to particularly make a contribution to such a socially relevant technology area in this financing round." Andreas van Bon, responsible managing partner at bmp Ventures AG “Despite the medical demand for a solution, we have not seen any innovation in the treatment of periodontitis for over a decade. Consequently, this investment will not only fuel the long-neglected therapeutic market segment within the dental realm, but most importantly it will restore patient confidence.” Pierre Tangermann, Managing Director at PerioTrap Pharmaceuticals As a result of a pan-European project under the FP7 umbrella, PerioTrap is based on an excellent international science network including the Institute of Microbiology at the Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland (Prof. Jan Potempa), the Institute of Periodontology at the Faculty of Dentistry at the University of Bern, Switzerland (Prof. Sigrun Eick) and the Pharmaceutical Technology Research Group at the Institute of Pharmacy at the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Germany (Prof. Karsten Mäder). This leading scientific network will now be expanded further. About the IBG Funds Based in Magdeburg, the IBG Funds are the venture capital funds of the State of Saxony-Anhalt. The IBG funds provide equity capital to innovative companies with sustainable and above-average growth potential and a domicile/operation in Saxony-Anhalt. At the beginning of 2017, IBG launched the new risk capital fund RKF III with a volume of EUR 84 million. The fund is financed by funds from the state and the European Union and invests in innovative companies in Saxony-Anhalt in the business phases of seed, start-up and growth. The IBG funds are managed by bmp Ventures AG. www.ibg-vc.de About bmp Ventures With an experienced background of over 250 investments from almost all technology segments, most of which are in the early stages, bmp is one of the most experienced venture capital investors in Germany. In addition to direct investments, bmp has also managed venture capital funds for KfW Bankengruppe and DEG - Deutsche Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft. bmp currently manages the IBG funds in Saxony-Anhalt and the Frühphasenfonds Brandenburg. bmp has around 20 employees in Berlin and Magdeburg. www.bmp.com About i&i Prague i&i Prague accelerates the proof-of-concept stage of projects in the fields of MedTech, diagnostics and drug discovery. The company focuses on projects in the discovery, pre-seed or seed phase - projects with excellent innovative potential which will benefit from the project-launching experience and networking skills developed by IOCB Tech over the last decade. Furthermore, financial support provided by i&i Prague should significantly increase the appeal and value of a project for further licensees and/or investors. www.iniprague.com About Fraunhofer Venture Fraunhofer Venture is the central department for spin-offs and investment management of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft and offers founders, start-ups, Fraunhofer Institutes, industry, and investors access to the cutting-edge technologies of the 74 Fraunhofer Institutes, the Fraunhofer infrastructure and Fraunhofer know-how with over 7,000 patent families. The range of services includes complete support and consulting from the idea to the founding of a company, active participation management of Fraunhofer participations, support with finding investors up to a possible sale of the company and is flanked by the AHEAD company builder as well as other offerings. www.fraunhoferventure.de About PerioTrap Pharmaceuticals PerioTrap is developing an innovative anti-infective drug which will not only treat but also contribute to the eradication of periodontitis, an inflammatory gum disease caused by bacteria. To date, the most relevant therapy option is a painful procedure consisting of the manual removal of plaque within the dental pockets followed by cleansing using either antiseptic solutions or the administration of broad-spectrum antibiotics. PerioTrap’s approach uses its newly developed, selective, small-molecule drugs to target only the disease-causing bacteria without affecting the commensal bacteria. Protecting the commensal bacteria should encourage a shift towards a natural microbiome, thus preventing the reoccurrence of the disease.

European Investment Bank and Atriva Therapeutics sign financing agreement of €24 million for the research, development and clinical testing of the company’s lead product candidate against influenza and COVID-19 Atriva’s ATR-002 molecule is the only host-cell targeting antiviral therapeutic specifically developed to treat severe respiratory infections caused by RNA (ribonucleic acid) viruses – it may prevent progression to critical-stage COVID-19 in hospitalised patients and holds strong potential in the current pandemic 
 The EIB venture debt transaction is financed under the Infectious Diseases Finance Facility set up as part of Horizon 2020, the EU research and innovation programme for 2014-2020 The European Investment Bank (EIB) and Atriva Therapeutics GmbH, a biopharmaceutical company pioneering the development of host-targeting antiviral therapies, concluded a €24 million financing agreement today to facilitate the company’s development and clinical testing of a novel therapy treating severe respiratory infections with RNA viruses. RNA viruses cause diseases such as influenza, SARS and COVID-19. Atriva’s ATR-002, an oral small molecule, has been proven to block the viral propagation of SARS-CoV-2 in pre-clinical trials, making it a much-needed therapeutic option for patients with moderate to severe COVID-19 symptoms who require hospitalisation. “While one needs to be careful when comparing COVID-19 to the flu, it might be helpful that both diseases have overlaps in their mechanisms of infection,” said Ambroise Fayolle, EIB Vice-President in charge of innovation and transactions in Germany. “If, as Atriva’s research indicates, one small molecule can work to treat both diseases, this would be excellent news not only for the millions of people who fall ill from the flu every year but also for the many more who are affected by the coronavirus lately. An effective treatment would also lift a huge burden from our health systems and help mitigate the impact these diseases have on our daily lives and the economy. This is a case where EIB financing can contribute to addressing an extremely high unmet medical need, which is something I am proud of.” Mariya Gabriel, Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, said: “The European Union is doing all in its power to protect Europeans against coronavirus. The European Commission is coordinating the Coronavirus Global Response, the global action for universal access to tests, treatments and vaccines against coronavirus and for the global recovery. With this loan to Atriva, the EU continues its support for the development of innovative Covid-19 treatments. Their therapy can add to the range of complementary solutions that we need to tackle this disease.” Dr Rainer Lichtenberger, co-founder and CEO of Atriva, said: “The EIB clearly understands the need for an effective antiviral therapy against influenza and COVID-19 and the potential such a treatment holds to help patients around the world. We are grateful for the EIB’s support in advancing the clinical development of ATR-002 as an innovative host-targeting therapy against these prevalent and potentially devastating diseases. With the funding from the EIB, we can now take the next development steps –starting a Phase II study in patients with moderate to severe COVID-19 infections, followed by further clinical development work in influenza.” He continued: “When the coronavirus pandemic hit us all earlier this year, we saw that Atriva’s technology had the potential to play an important role in the fight against COVID-19, and we are excited to move forward in this work now. Our ultimate goal, though, is to develop a broad-spectrum antiviral drug that will also be effective against future viral outbreaks.” ATR-002 has been developed specifically to treat respiratory viral infections by inhibiting MEK, a host cell factor required for the replication of various RNA viruses, including the influenza virus and SARS-CoV-2. Atriva’s pre-clinical studies, performed at the Universities of Tübingen and Münster, have demonstrated that MEK inhibition by ATR-002 also prevents SARS-CoV-2 replication. In addition to its antiviral efficacy, ATR-002 shows a second beneficial effect: the MEK-inhibitor was able to significantly decrease pro-inflammatory cytokine and chemokine expression in cells. Cytokines and chemokines are proteins that coordinate the immune response throughout the body. In patients with COVID- 19, ATR-002 could prevent a cytokine storm and the associated disease progression to a life-threatening condition. This dual benefit, antiviral activity and immunomodulation, positions ATR-002 as a promising therapeutic candidate. Atriva has filed the respective patents with the European Patent Office. In addition, ATR-002 successfully completed a Phase I clinical trial in 2019 where it demonstrated excellent safety and tolerability in healthy volunteers. Atriva will receive the EIB loan in three tranches upon the completion of pre-defined milestones. The funds will support the company’s R&D for ATR-002, including clinical trial expenses, the technical transfer and manufacturing ramp-up needed to reach a commercial scale, as well as regulatory, intellectual property, pharmacovigilance and market access activities. Atriva will now start a multinational, double-blind, randomised clinical Phase II study in hospitalised patients with moderate to severe COVID-19 infections. The loan is backed by the Infectious Diseases Finance Facility (IDFF) set up as part of the EU’s Horizon 2020 programme. The IDFF is an example of successful collaboration between the European Commission and the EIB in the face of a health crisis. Through this facility, the EIB has supported European companies with total lending of around €400 million for developing cures, vaccines and diagnostics for various infectious diseases, most prominently the coronavirus. Background information  The European Investment Bank is the long-term lending institution of the European Union owned by its Member States. It makes long-term finance available for sound investments in order to contribute towards EU policy goals. The EIB also supports investments outside the EU.
The InnovFin Infectious Diseases Finance Facility (IDFF) is dedicated to supporting the fight against infectious diseases. This joint European Commission and EIB Group initiative is part of Horizon 2020, the 2014-2020 EU research and innovation programme. The IDFF enables the EIB to provide between €7.5m and €75m of funding to innovative players active in developing vaccines, drugs, medical and diagnostic devices and research infrastructure for combating infectious diseases. The financing mainly goes to projects that have completed the pre-clinical stage and need clinical approval for further development. The IDFF has been increased by €400 million to boost its capacity for tackling the outbreak of the coronavirus. The total EU contribution to the IDFF via Horizon 2020 is estimated at almost €700 million. About Atriva Therapeutics GmbH  Atriva Therapeutics, founded in 2015, is a biopharmaceutical company specifically pioneering the development of host-targeting antiviral therapies set up by a team of leading scientists in viral research and seasoned industry experts. The company aims to develop new antiviral therapies against different severe respiratory viral infections with a high unmet medical need, such as influenza and COVID-19. Atriva’s lead product ATR-002 is a first-in-class host-targeting agent, which inhibits viral replication in influenza and favourably modulates the body’s immune response. ATR-002 is under clinical development and has successfully completed a Phase I trial to demonstrate safety and tolerability in healthy subjects (NCT04385420). The Company has initiated a Phase II study to evaluate efficacy in hospitalised COVID- 19 patients while a Phase II study in influenza is planned to start in early 2021. Atriva Therapeutics is located in Tübingen and Frankfurt, Germany.

Britisches Investorenkonsortium Franklin Road Ltd. erhöht Anteil an APEIRON Biologics signifikant auf über 13 % Hauptversammlung wählt Edward Charles MA, Geschäftsführer von Franklin Road Ltd., als neues Aufsichtsratsmitglied Wien, Österreich, 15. Oktober 2020: Die APEIRON Biologics AG gab im Rahmen ihrer außerordentlichen Hauptversammlung eine wesentliche Stärkung der Aktionärsstruktur sowie ein neues Aufsichtsratsmitglied bekannt. Demnach hat das britische Investorenkonsortium Franklin Road Limited seine Beteiligung an APEIRON Biologics signifikant erhöht. Franklin Road hatte sich bereits im Zuge der Kapitalerhöhung im Juni 2020 am Unternehmen beteiligt, konnte damals allerdings wegen der Überzeichnung der Kapitalerhöhung nicht den angestrebten Unternehmensanteil erwerben. Im Rahmen eines Secondary Offerings hat Franklin Road Aktien von bestehenden Aktionären erworben und so seinen Anteil am Unternehmen von knapp 1 % auf 13,06 % erhöht. Aufgrund der gestiegenen Beteiligung von Franklin Road an dem Unternehmen wurde auf der gestrigen Hauptversammlung Edward Charles, MA, Geschäftsführer von Franklin Road, als neues Aufsichtsratsmitglied der APEIRON Biologics AG gewählt. Vor allem die Kontakte und das weitreichende Netzwerk des neuen Ankerinvestors stellen ein wichtiges Fundament für die weitere strategische Entwicklung der APEIRON Biologics dar. „Das Engagement von Franklin Road bei APEIRON Biologics stärkt unsere Aktionärsstruktur und hat zugleich langjährigen und treuen Aktionären die erfolgreiche Realisierung ihres Investments in unserem Unternehmen ermöglicht“, sagte Peter Llewellyn-Davies, Vorstandsvorsitzender der APEIRON Biologics AG. „Seit Juni 2020 flossen rund 40 Millionen Euro Investoren- und Fördergelder in Finanzierungsrunden der APEIRON Biologics. Eine vor kurzem erschienene Fallstudie in der renommierten Fachzeitschrift The Lancet Respiratory Medicine[1]zeigt erstmals ermutigende Daten zur Behandlung eines COVID-19 Patienten mit APN01. Ich bedanke mich bei allen Beteiligten für diese hervorragenden Leistungen.“ Edward Charles MA, Geschäftsführer von Franklin Road Ltd., kommentierte: „Wir freuen uns sehr, die Entwicklungspipeline von APEIRON Biologics unterstützen zu können. Die Medikamentenkandidaten haben das Potenzial, die Überlebenschancen und Lebensqualität von Patienten signifikant zu verbessern, sowohl bei der Behandlung von COVID-19 als auch in der Immunonkologie. Wir sind hier, um das APEIRON-Team bei der Herausforderung zu unterstützen, diese einzigartigen und dringend benötigten Therapien so schnell und sicher zur Marktreife zu bringen wie möglich. Wir freuen uns auf die Ergebnisse der laufenden klinischen Phase II-Studie mit der COVID-19 Therapie APN01 in den nächsten Monaten.“ Dr. Manfred Reichl, Aufsichtsratsvorsitzender der APEIRON Biologics AG freut sich: „Die Stärkung und Internationalisierung unserer Aktionärsbasis und unseres Aufsichtsrats schaffen einen soliden Rahmen für die Arbeit an unseren laufenden klinischen Studien zu COVID-19 und in der Immunonkologie. Wir begrüßen Ed herzlich als Vertreter des neuen Ankerinvestors und Aufsichtsrats und freuen uns, dass APEIRON Biologics von seinem Engagement, seiner langjährigen Business-Erfahrung und seinen hervorragenden Kontakten profitieren kann.“ Über Franklin Road Limited Franklin Road Limited ist ein Investorenkonsortium bestehend aus britischen und europäischen Privatinvestoren und Familienstiftungen. Über APEIRON Biologics AG APEIRON Biologics AG ist ein europäisches privates Biotechnologieunternehmen mit Sitz in Wien, Österreich, das sich auf die Entdeckung, Entwicklung und Kommerzialisierung innovativer Immuntherapien gegen Krebs und Atemwegserkrankungen spezialisiert hat. APEIRONs APN01 / alunacedase alfa (rhsACE2) befindet sich in einer Phase-II-Studie zur Behandlung von COVID-19. APEIRON Biologics hat ein zugelassenes Produkt auf dem Markt, Qarziba®, zur Behandlung von pädiatrischen Neuroblastom-Patienten, das von EUSA Pharma weltweit vertrieben wird. Ein weiteres klinisches Programm des Unternehmens, APN401, ist eine „first-in-class“ autologe Zelltherapie zur Stärkung der Immunreaktivität über die Inhibierung des intrazellulären Master-Immune-Checkpoints Cbl-b. Die Produkte und Technologien von APEIRON Biologics basieren auf einem starken Patentportfolio und Partnerschaften mit führenden Pharmaunternehmen und akademischen Institutionen. Weitere Informationen unter www.apeiron-biologics.com. Für weitere Informationen wenden Sie sich bitte an: APEIRON Biologics AG Peter Llewellyn-Davies, CEO E-Mail: investors@apeiron-biologics.com www.apeiron-biologics.com Media and Investor Relations MC Services AG Julia Hofmann T +49 89 210 228 0 E-Mail: apeiron@mc-services.eu ZUKUNFTSBEZOGENE AUSSAGEN Diese Pressemitteilung enthält bestimmte vorausschauende Angaben, die Risiken und Unsicherheiten beinhalten. Diese Aussagen geben die Meinung von APEIRON zum Zeitpunkt dieser Pressemitteilung wieder. Derartige zukunftsbezogene Aussagen sind weder Versprechen noch Garantien, sondern hängen von vielen Risiken und Unwägbarkeiten ab, von denen sich viele der Kontrolle des Managements von APEIRON entziehen. Dies könnte dazu führen, dass die tatsächlichen Ergebnisse erheblich von den Prognosen in diesen zukunftsbezogenen Aussagen abweichen. Wir übernehmen ausdrücklich keine Verpflichtung, vorausschauende Aussagen hinsichtlich geänderter Erwartungen der Parteien oder hinsichtlich neuer Ereignisse, Bedingungen oder Umstände, auf denen diese Aussagen beruhen, öffentlich zu aktualisieren oder zu revidieren. [1] Zoufaly A. et al., The Lancet Respiratory Medicine, 2020, S2213-2600(20)30418-5 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S2213-2600(20)30418-5