Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc. (STI) and IGDRASOL have acquired exclusive distribution rights from South Korean based, Samyang Biopharmaceuticals to Cynviloq (marketed as Genexol-PM in South Korea) in the 27 countries of European Union (EU). IGDRASOL had previously obtained the exclusive US distribution rights to Cynviloq from Samyang, and with this agreement, Samyang again recognises the ability of IGDRASOL’s management team to leverage its domain expertise in nanomedicine for the development and commercialisation of Cynviloq.

STI has the right to acquire IGDRASOL pursuant to a previously-announced option agreement, entered into in March 2013.

Cynviloq is a next-generation, branded, micellar diblock copolymeric paclitaxel formulation currently approved and marketed in several countries, including South Korea for Metastatic Breast Cancer (MBC), Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and ovarian cancer. It has also completed phase II studies for potential advancement into registration trials in the US. Preliminary data analysis from an ongoing MBC phase III trial in South Korea has indicated a significantly improved overall response rate (ORR) for Cynviloq as compared to a solvent-based paclitaxel, a generic version of Taxol. More comprehensive data analyses will be presented at future medical conferences.

"We look forward to potentially making this important drug, Cynviloq, available to cancer patients who would greatly benefit from it – initially as an alternative to Abraxane and potentially in the future as a treatment option for indications such as bladder and ovarian cancers,” said Vuong Trieu, Ph.D., chief executive officer of IGDRASOL.

Cynviloq (or Genexol-PM; a paclitaxel-loaded micellar diblock copolymer) is a next-generation branded paclitaxel formulation currently approved and on the market in several countries.

IGDRASOL’s lead therapeutic platform is Cynviloq, a branded micellar paclitaxel formulation which is free of cremophor and human serum albumin (HSA), the excipients for Taxol (cremophor-based paclitaxel) and albumin-bound paclitaxel (Abraxane), respectively. Cynviloq combines the simplicity of manufacturing and preparation of Taxol and potentially the albumin-mediated transport of paclitaxel. IGDRASOL intends to conduct registration trials for multiple cancer indications.

Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc. is a publicly-traded, development-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of novel and proprietary biotherapeutics for the treatment of a variety of disease conditions, including cancer, inflammation, metabolic and infectious diseases.