THERAVECTYS Files Suit in the U.S. Against Immune Design Corp.

THERAVECTYS announced that it filed a lawsuit against Seattle-based Immune Design Corp. (“IDC”) in the Delaware Court of Chancery and is seeking preliminary and permanent injunctive relief, as well as monetary damages. In its suit, THERAVECTYS raises claims of tortious interference with contractual relations, misappropriation of trade secrets, unfair competition and unjust enrichment.

The lawsuit alleges that IDC induced THERAVECTYS’ exclusive manufacturer, Henogen SA (“Henogen”), to breach its exclusivity obligations by manufacturing and supplying cGMP clinical batches of lentiviral vectors for IDC. As a result, the lawsuit claims that IDC misappropriated THERAVECTYS’ trade secrets, tortiously interfered with THERAVECTYS’ contractual relationship, has been unjustly enriched and is knowingly using lentiviral vectors unlawfully manufactured for IDC by Henogen. This lawsuit follows an April 11, 2014 judgment in the Paris Commercial Court in THERAVECTYS’ favor. In that judgment, the Paris Commercial Court found, among other things, that Henogen had breached its contractual obligations to THERAVECTYS by making lentiviral vectors for IDC.

The lawsuit seeks monetary damages, as well as injunctive relief preventing IDC from (1) directly or indirectly using lentiviral vector vaccines developed or produced by Henogen; and (2) citing to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or otherwise relying upon any clinical trials using lentiviral vector vaccines developed or produced by Henogen.

About THERAVECTYS

THERAVECTYS is a French biotechnology company engaged in the development of a new generation of vaccines based on the lentiviral vector technology, a breakthrough technology originating from fundamental research at Pasteur Institute. It is expected to enable the prevention or the treatment of cancers and major global infectious diseases where the induction of a strong and effective cellular immune response is required: viral diseases (HIV), bacterial or parasitic diseases, cancers, etc. By way of a worldwide exclusive agreement with the Pasteur Institute and the financial support from public authorities (Bpifrance, i.e. the former OSEO, and ANR), THERAVECTYS continues to invest in research and development to fight against major pathologies. Alone or in collaboration with other partners, THERAVECTYS plans to shortly begin the clinical development of further vaccine candidates. Since its creation, THERAVECTYS has been pursuing the development of a therapeutic anti-HIV vaccine and a phase I/II clinical trial is currently underway.