Unique business model

Pergamum has developed a unique business model that combines leading-edge program management with efficient drug and business development. This approach is designed to increase the success rate of drug development programs and minimize time-to-market. The model also enables Pergamum to pursue multiple exit and partnering opportunities, and to improve return on investment.

Pergamum is building a new type of efficient biotech company and has recently merged and integrated three innovative biotech start-ups (DermaGen, PharmaSurgics and Lipopeptide) into one operational company.

Within Pergamum, program management is decentralized. Individual Operating Units ensure that entrepreneurial drive is maintained. Retaining these innovative units provides clearer focus and helps to minimize time-to-market for every product in the pipeline. It also provides an attractive form of diversification and overall risk spreading.

Pergamum is already an attractive drug development "engine" for biotech and pharma companies; it will continue to attract, select and fully integrate the best early-stage programs, making sure they benefit from Pergamum's competitive advantages.

Multiple Exit Opportunities

Pergamum's mission is twofold: to meet investor expectations regarding more efficient drug development together with lower risk profiles; and to meet pharma partner quality expectations across drug development disciplines together with appropriate risk management. Pergamum's business model allows for multiple exit opportunities in the form of out-licensing, sale, divestment or co-development of products.

Technology Platform

The common theme of therapeutic peptides for local application enables Pergamum to make use of synergies. The development programs benefit from international expertise at corporate level, cost savings by sharing resources, and a cross-functional knowledge base.

The peptides in development are structurally derived from human motifs and optimized in terms of their biopharmaceutical properties. All of the peptides have multifunctional properties. These include modulation of inflammation and other immune functions, fibrinolysis and wound healing. Importantly, all of the peptides exhibit potent antimicrobial activity, offering beneficial effects in both anti-infection and wound healing.

These anti-infective agents are unique in that they seem to avoid antimicrobial resistance. This is due to their particular mechanism of targeting microorganisms – binding to microbial membranes in an unspecific way using the intrinsic properties of the membranes.

The peptides in development have a broad spectrum of bactericidal (gram(+) and gram(-)) and fungicidal activity. Their targeting mechanism clearly distinguishes them from classical antibiotics, which are associated with increasing resistance development limiting their use in medical care.

Increasing bacterial resistance against classical antibiotics is highlighted by the fact that more than 50% of Staphylococcus aureus isolates found in Sweden, today, are fusidic acid-resistant. Internationally, the situation is even worse. The number of reported cases of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) per year in Sweden has more than tripled since 2000.

Partnering 

Pergamum’s strategy is to initiate partnering discussions for development programs once they have achieved clinical proof-of-concept in a pilot or full Phase IIa study. Targeted partners are mid to large-size pharmaceutical companies. Pergamum also evaluates other strategic partnering opportunities as they occur, and welcomes interest from potential partners in any ongoing project.

Investments

Laurantis Pharma Oy
Pergamum holds a minority position in Laurantis Pharma Oy. The development program, together with its underlying technology platform, within Pergamum's area of focus is based on a newly characterized entity with the capability to modulate intracellular pH-levels. The products in development target substantial therapeutic markets.