5 may 2017 puretech health plc€¦ · of people living in developed countries and its effects on...

5May2017

PureTechHealthplc

PureTechHealthAnnouncesLicensingAgreementbetweenCommenseandtheUniversityofBritishColumbiaforMicrobiome-DerivedTherapy

Livebiotherapeuticproducttobedevelopedasanearlyinterventionforasthmaandotherallergic

diseasesthatbegininchildhoodPureTech Health plc (“PureTech Health” or the “Company”, LSE: PRTC), an advanced, clinical-stagebiopharmaceutical company, is pleased to announce a licensing agreement between Commense, Inc.(“Commense”), a subsidiary of PureTechHealth, and theUniversity of British Columbia (“UBC”) for amicrobiome-based therapydirected toward thepreventionofasthmaandotherallergicdiseases thatpresentinchildhood.ThislivebiotherapeuticproductbolstersCommense’spipelineofnoveltherapeuticprogramsdesignedtonurtureahealthymicrobiomeearlyinlife.The licensed technology was developed at UBC by B. Brett Finlay, Ph.D., Co-Founder and ScientificAdvisoryBoardMemberoftheCompany,StuartTurvey,MBBS,D.Phil,FRCPC,andtheircolleaguesandisbasedontheirresearchpublishedinScienceTranslationalMedicine.Basedonanalysisofalongitudinalstudy,Dr.Finlayandhiscolleaguesidentifiedatransient imbalanceearly in life inchildrenwithatopy,wheeze,andasthmaoffourspecificbacterialtaxa:Faecalibacterium,Lachnospira,Veillonella,andRothia(FLVR).Inpreclinicalmodelsofairwayinflammation,signsofrespiratorydiseases,suchasasthma,wereamelioratedwhenliveFLVRwasintroducedtocorrecttheimbalance.ThepotentialprotectiveinfluenceofFLVR intheearlydevelopmentofachild’s immunesystemandagainstthedevelopmentofasthmacouldhaveasignificantimpactonnon-infectious,chronicdiseasesinchildrenandadults.“Asthma is a lifelong chronicdisease that affects thequalityof lifeofover25millionAmericans. Theimpactofusingadefinedmicrobialinterventiontopotentiallychangethenaturalcourseofasthmaandpreventmany cases of the disease could be profound,” said FernandoMartinez,MD,Director of theAsthma and Airway Disease Research Center at the University of Arizona and a Clinical Advisor toCommense.“TheFLVRsupplementationapproachusesdefinedgut-derivedbacterialconsortiaagainstallergyandasthma.Ifthisapproachweretobesuccessful,itwouldbeakeystepforward.”“Nurturingahealthymicrobiomeearlyinliferepresentsanovelstrategytosignificantlyreducetheimpactofchronicdiseases likeasthma,allergies,diabetes,andobesity,”saidJoeBolen,Ph.D.,ChiefScientificOfficer for PureTech Health. “Brett’s work and contributions with FLVR build upon our arsenal ofmicrobiome-derivedtherapeuticsandmaypotentiallyimpactchildhoodhealthinanimportantway.”CommenseprogramsarepartofPureTechHealth’sgrowingpipeline in immunologyandmicrobiome-basedtherapeutics.TheseprogramsleveragethecoreexpertisePureTechHealthhasdevelopedthroughits Vedanta Biosciences subsidiary, allowing for accelerated development. Commense anticipatesinitiationofhumanclinicaltrialsin2019.

PureTechHealthhasgatheredagroupofleadingexpertcollaboratorsandadvisorsaroundtheCommenseprogram,including:

• RobKnight,Ph.D.,(SABMember)–ProfessorintheDepartmentofPediatricsandProfessorintheDepartmentofComputerScienceandEngineeringattheUniversityofCaliforniaSanDiego(UCSanDiego);DirectorofUCSanDiego'sCenterforMicrobiomeInnovation;co-founderoftheEarthMicrobiome Project and American Gut; pioneer of key computational and experimentaltechniques for characterizing and designing complex microbial communities in differentecosystems;andauthorofTEDbookFollowYourGut:TheEnormousImpactofTinyMicrobes;

• MartinJ.Blaser,M.D.,(ScientificCo-FounderandSABMember)–ProfessorofMicrobiology,NYULangoneMedicalCenter;DirectoroftheHumanMicrobiomeProgram;internationallyrecognizedforhispioneeringworkindiscoveringtheprogressivelossofmicrobialdiversityinthemicrobiotaofpeoplelivingindevelopedcountriesanditseffectsonhealth;andauthorofMissingMicrobes:HowtheOveruseofAntibioticsIsFuelingOurModernPlagues;

• B.BrettFinlay,Ph.D.,(ScientificCo-FounderandSABMember)–ProfessorofBiochemistryand

MolecularBiologyattheUniversityofBritishColumbia;pioneerinunderstandinghowlossofkeymicrobesinchildrencanaffectdisease,includingatopicdiseasesandallergy;andauthorofLetThem Eat Dirt,which explores how themicrobes that inhabit our bodies influence childhooddevelopment;

• Joseph St. Geme III, M.D., (Advisor and SAB Member) – Physician-in-Chief and Chairman of

PediatricsattheChildren’sHospitalofPhiladelphia;ProfessorofPediatricsandMicrobiologyatthe Perelman School ofMedicine at theUniversity of Pennsylvania; and leading clinician andresearcherintheareaofpediatrichost-bacterialinteractions;

• Maria Gloria Dominguez-Bello, Ph.D., (Scientific Co-Founder and SAB Member) – AssociateProfessorofMedicineatNYULangoneMedicalCenter;leadauthoroftheNatureMedicinestudyandpioneerincharacterizingandunderstandingmicrobialexposuresearlyinlife;

• SamKass,(AdvisorandCommenseBoardMember)–formerSeniorPolicyAdvisorforNutritionPolicyat theWhiteHouseand formerExecutiveDirectorof First LadyMichelleObama’sLet’sMove!childhoodhealthcampaign;and

• BobJones,(Advisor)–CEOofScientificNutritionProducts,Inc.;formerNutritionandWellness

practice leadatScientiaAdvisors,astrategyconsultingfirm;andformerPresidentandCEOofVitasoyUSA, Inc., the nation’s largestmarketer andmanufacturer of tofu and the pioneer ofsoymilkinAmerica.

AboutCommenseCommense, a subsidiary of PureTech Health (LSE: PRTC), is building on a deep understanding of themicrobiomeearlyinlifeanditsfundamentalroleinpromotingalifetimeofgoodhealth.Drawinginsightsfromnaturalexposurestobeneficialmicrobes,Commenseisdevelopingapproachestoguidethepriming,seeding, andmaintaining of themicrobiome in infants and children. Commense is working with the

world’sleadingmicrobiomescientists,physicians,andproductdeveloperstodevelopanovelcategoryofproductstoaddresscriticalunmetneedsinpediatricpopulations.AboutPureTechHealthPureTechHealth(PureTechHealthplc,PRTC.L)isanadvanced,clinical-stagebiopharmaceuticalcompanydevelopingnovelmedicinesthatmodulatetheadaptivehumansystems.PureTech’stherapiestargetthedysfunctions in the immune, nervous, and gastro-intestinal systems by addressing the underlyingpathophysiologyofdiseasefromasystemsperspectiveratherthanthroughasinglereceptororpathway.The Company is advancing a rich pipeline that includesmultiple humanproof-of-concept studies andpivotal or registration studies expected to read out over the next 12-18 months. PureTech Health’sgrowingresearchanddevelopmentpipelinehasbeendevelopedincollaborationwithsomeoftheworld’sleading scientific experts, who along with PureTech's experienced team and a stellar Board identify,analyzeandadvanceveryselectivelytheopportunitiestheCompanybelievesholdthemostpromiseforpatients.ThisexperiencedandengagedteamplacesPureTechHealthattheforefrontofground-breakingscienceandtechnological innovationandleadstheCompanybetweenandbeyondexistingdisciplines.Formoreinformation,visitwww.puretechhealth.comorconnectwithusonTwitter@puretechh.ForwardLookingStatementThis press release contains statements that are or may be forward-looking statements, includingstatements that relate to thecompany's futureprospects,developmentsandstrategies.The forward-lookingstatementsarebasedoncurrentexpectationsandaresubjecttoknownandunknownrisksanduncertainties thatcouldcauseactual results,performanceandachievements todiffermaterially fromcurrent expectations, including, but not limited to, those risks and uncertainties described in the riskfactorsincludedintheregulatoryfilingsforPureTechHealthplc.Theseforward-lookingstatementsarebased on assumptions regarding the present and future business strategies of the company and theenvironmentinwhichitwilloperateinthefuture.Eachforward-lookingstatementspeaksonlyasatthedateofthispressrelease.Exceptasrequiredbylawandregulatoryrequirements,neitherthecompanynoranyotherpartyintendstoupdateorrevisetheseforward-lookingstatements,whetherasaresultofnewinformation,futureeventsorotherwise.Forfurtherinformation:

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AllisonMead+16176513156amead@puretechhealth.com

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