Hookipa Achieves First Research Milestone in HIV Collaboration and License Agreement with Gilead

New York, US and Vienna, Austria, January 02, 2019

HOOKIPA Pharma Inc. (“HOOKIPA”), a company developing a new class of immunotherapies targeting infectious diseases and cancers based on its proprietary arenavirus platform, today announced that it has achieved its first research milestone in its collaboration and license agreement with Gilead Sciences, Inc. (“Gilead”). The agreement, which was entered into in June 2018, grants Gilead exclusive rights to HOOKIPA’s TheraT® and VaxWave® investigational arenavirus-based immunization technologies for the development of immunotherapies against hepatitis B virus (HBV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

HOOKIPA has completed the first research milestone by designing and delivering 14 research-grade vectors to Gilead, along with the characterization of these vectors and delivery of a data package for the HIV program. Pursuant to the terms of the agreement, HOOKIPA is entitled to a sizeable milestone payment from Gilead.

Joern Aldag, HOOKIPA’s Chief Executive Officer said: “We are pleased to have achieved our first milestone within the collaborative HIV program with Gilead. This great achievement reflects our joint commitment to develop and deliver new treatment options for patients suffering from these infectious diseases. It also reflects HOOKIPA´s dedication to further validate our technology in infectious disease.”

Under the terms of the agreement, Gilead provided an upfront payment of $10 million and will fund all research and development activities. HOOKIPA will be eligible to receive milestone payments based upon the achievement of specified development, regulatory, and commercial milestones up to a total of approximately $400 million. HOOKIPA will also be eligible to receive tiered royalties on net sales.

About HOOKIPA

HOOKIPA Pharma Inc. is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing a new class of immunotherapeutics, targeting infectious diseases and cancers based on its proprietary arenavirus platform that is designed to reprogram the body’s immune system.
HOOKIPA’s proprietary arenavirus-based technologies, VaxWave®*, a replication-deficient viral vector, and TheraT®*, a replication-attenuated viral vector, are designed to induce robust antigen specific CD8+ T cells and pathogen-neutralizing antibodies. Both, VaxWave® and TheraT®, are designed to allow for repeat administration while maintaining an immune response. TheraT® has the potential to induce CD8+ T cell response levels previously not achieved by other published immuno-therapy approaches. HOOKIPA’s “off-the-shelf” viral vectors target dendritic cells in vivo to activate the immune system.

HOOKIPA has successfully completed a Phase 1 trial of a VaxWave®-based prophylactic vaccine to protect against cytomegalovirus infection and has started dosing patients in a
Phase 2 trial in cytomegalovirus-negative patients awaiting kidney transplantation from cytomegalovirus-positive donors. To expand its infectious disease portfolio, HOOKIPA has entered into a collaboration and licensing agreement with Gilead Sciences, Inc. to jointly research and develop functional cures for HIV and Hepatitis B infections. HOOKIPA is building a proprietary immuno-oncology pipeline by targeting virally mediated cancer antigens, self-antigens and next-generation antigens.

TheraT® and VaxWave® are not approved anywhere globally and their safety and efficacy have not been established.

Find out more about HOOKIPA online at www.hookipapharma.com.

About Gilead Sciences, Inc.

Gilead Sciences, Inc. is a research-based biopharmaceutical company that discovers, develops and commercializes innovative medicines in areas of unmet medical need. The company strives to transform and simplify care for people with life-threatening illnesses around the world. Gilead has operations in more than 35 countries worldwide, with headquarters in Foster City, California.

*Registered in Europe; Pending in the US.