Malin Announces Investment In UK-based Immunology Company: Immunocore

Malin Corporation plc. ("Malin”), an Irish-based global life sciences company, today announces it has invested $80 million in Immunocore Limited ("Immunocore”), a world-leading biotechnology company developing novel T cell receptor (TCR) based therapies with the potential to treat a variety of cancers, viral infections and autoimmune diseases. Malin will join Woodford Investment Management, Eli Lilly and Company, RTW Funds as well as a number of existing investors in Immunocore in a financing round of $320 million; Europe’s largest ever Series A life sciences financing. Malin’s investment in Immunocore will be financed through its own cash reserves. Adrian Howd, CEO of Malin, and Kelly Martin, Director of Malin, will join the Board of Immunocore.

The proceeds will enable Immunocore to further accelerate its pipeline of ImmTACs (Immune mobilising mTCR Against Cancer). ImmTACs are a new class of bispecific biologics which have the potential to treat a broad range of solid tumours either as monotherapies or in combination with other therapies to create best in class treatment regimes. In addition to delivering on its well-established partnerships, Immunocore will focus, in particular, on progressing its lead proprietary programme, IMCgp100, which produced positive Phase I/IIa trial data announced in April 2015 in patients with advanced metastatic cutaneous and ocular melanoma.

Adrian Howd, CEO of Malin, said: "In conjunction with Woodford Investment Management, we are delighted to take a leadership role in this financing round for Immunocore. For Malin and its shareholders, this represents a second significant investment in a UK-based biotech company. Given its unique and innovative science, a balanced pipeline with possible applications across a number of therapeutic areas, and first class executive team and Board leadership, we believe Immunocore has the potential to create a highly unique premier biotech company and establish itself as a substantial enterprise and thought leader within the industry.”

About Immunocore

Immunocore is one of the world’s leading biotechnology companies, with a highly innovative immuno-oncology platform technology called ImmTACs. ImmTACs are a novel class of biologic drugs based on the Company’s proprietary T cell receptor (TCR) technology which have the potential to treat diseases with high unmet medical need including cancer, viral infections and autoimmune diseases. Immunocore, based on decades of world-leading scientific innovation in the discovery of HLA targets and T cell receptor technology, has a pipeline of wholly-owned and partnered ImmTAC programmes with robust clinical data, validated by collaborations with world-leading pharmaceutical companies. Immunocore aims to leverage the utility of its platform across a wide range of indications to become a Premier Biotech company and world-leader in its field.

Immunocore’s world-leading science and strong IP position has attracted major pharmaceutical companies including Genentech, GlaxoSmithKline, MedImmune, the biologics division of AstraZeneca, via discovery collaborations, as well as a co-discovery and co-development partnership with Lilly. The Company has also entered into combination trials with its lead programme, IMCgp100 in melanoma, with Medimmune and Lilly. Founded in 2008 originally out of Oxford University and headquartered outside Oxford, Immunocore now has more than 155 staff. In the financial year ended 30 September 2014, Immunocore recorded revenues of approximately £6.4 million and a loss for the financial year of approximately £5.6 million. For more information, please visit www.immunocore.com

About Malin Corporation Plc.

Malin is an Irish incorporated public limited company. Its purpose is to create shareholder value through the selective long-term application of capital and operational expertise to private, pre-IPO, pre-trade sale operating businesses in dynamic and fast growing segments of the life sciences industry. Through its operational involvement, Malin works with its investee companies to enable them to reach the full potential of their value proposition and to achieve commercial success. For more information visit www.malinplc.com

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