SOTIO

SOTIO spearheads PPF Group’s drive to build a diverse biotechnology portfolio. To achieve this it uses its own research & development, as well as collaborations, in-licensing, investments, and mergers & acquisitions. The most advanced project is its proprietary platform of active cellular immunotherapy (ACI) on the basis of dendritic cells. SOTIO verifies the safety and efficacy of its DCVAC products through multiple Phase I to Phase III clinical trials.

This is the first time in modern history that a company from the Czech Republic has reached this level of clinical development. Since 2012, SOTIO has launched 12 clinical studies in Europe and the US, focusing on patients with ovarian, lung and prostate cancer. Several other clinical trials are also being prepared. The company also conducts several joint research projects with leading hospitals in China.

As a result of the positive results of ongoing clinical studies which were focused on patients with ovarian cancer, and which were presented at the most prestigious oncological congresses worldwide, SOTIO decided to launch a Phase III clinical trial.

SOTIO is always looking to partner with other companies and institutions that develop promising oncology therapeutics. SOTIO also participates in pre-clinical and clinical development for other biotechnology companies affiliated with PPF or SOTIO either through equity ownership or through contractual relationships. These currently include France-based Cytune Pharma, Germany-based Lead Discovery Center and Switzerland-based NBE-Therapeutics. In addition, PPF Group has an investment in  in the Swiss company Cellestia Biotech. In cooperation with partnering companies and in its own research activities, SOTIO is actively implementing a number of preclinical stage projects with the aim of advancing several lead products and conducting Phase I clinical trials in the near future.

The key Phase I/Ib clinical trial to evaluate the safety and preliminary efficacy of Cytune Pharma’s SO-C101 therapy for patients with advanced oncological disease has started at the Goustave Roussy Institute of Oncology (France) and Vall d’Hebron (Spain), as well as at the Yale Cancer Center and MD Anderson Cancer Center in the US.

The company also carries out and finances independent scientific research – the most extensive of its kind in the Czech Republic. SOTIO puts into practice the results of work by Czech scientists who are researching new methods for the treatment of serious oncological and autoimmune disorders.

SOTIO has facilities and all the functionalities needed for research, clinical development and market access in-house. SOTIO has built its own state-of-the-art manufacturing and research facility in the Holešovice district of Prague, one of the largest and most modern of its kind in Europe. These super clean laboratories meet the most stringent requirements for the sterile production of the drugs used in cellular therapy. The company also operates similar laboratories in Beijing, China.

The SOTIO Group’s largest company, SOTIO a.s., is based in Prague. The Group also includes companies in the U.S., Russia, and China. The SOTIO Group employs more than 300 professionals.

The company has been part of PPF Group since 2012.

SOTIO a.s.: Management as at 8 May 2019