Aurinia Pharmaceuticals Announces Upcoming Annual General Meeting of Shareholders
Business Wire 31-May-2019 8:30 AM
- Special Committee of the Board and Management urges you to vote
your shares using the YELLOW proxy -
Aurinia Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:AUPH, TSX:AUP) ("Aurinia" or the
"Company"), today filed its Notice of Meeting and Management Information
Circular. Aurinia plans to host its upcoming Annual General Meeting of
Shareholders ("AGM") at 10:00 a.m. MT on Wednesday, June 26, 2019, at
the Westin Calgary, 320 4th Ave SW in Calgary, Alberta.
The Company also issued a letter to shareholders in response to the
receipt of an advance notice of nominees from a minority shareholder who
intends to nominate four alternate directors. The full text of the
letter to shareholders is available on Aurinia's website at https://www.auriniapharma.com/agm-materials,
on SEDAR at www.sedar.com,
or on EDGAR at www.sec.gov/edgar.
A Special Committee of the Board appointed to address matters related to
the AGM unanimously recommends that shareholders vote using Management's YELLOW
proxy FOR Aurinia's director nominees for the reasons set out in
the letter to shareholders. Forms of proxy and voting instruction forms
will soon be received by shareholders. If you have any questions or
require any assistance in voting your shares and the other matters
proposed by Aurinia, please call Aurinia's proxy solicitation agent,
Laurel Hill Advisory Group.
About Aurinia
Aurinia Pharmaceuticals is a late clinical-stage biopharmaceutical
company focused on developing and commercializing therapies to treat
targeted patient populations that are impacted by serious diseases with
a high unmet medical need. The Company is currently developing an
investigational drug, for the treatment of Lupus Nephritis, Focal
Segmental Glomerulosclerosis and Dry Eye Syndrome. The Company's head
office is in Victoria, British Columbia and focuses its development
efforts globally. For further information, see our website at www.auriniapharma.com.
About Voclosporin
Voclosporin, an investigational drug, is a novel and potentially
best-in-class calcineurin inhibitor ("CNI") with clinical data in over
2,600 patients across indications. Voclosporin is an immunosuppressant,
with a synergistic and dual mechanism of action. By inhibiting
calcineurin, voclosporin blocks IL-2 expression and T-cell mediated
immune responses and stabilizes the podocyte in the kidney. It has been
shown to have a more predictable pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic
relationship (potentially requires no therapeutic drug monitoring), an
increase in potency (vs cyclosporin), and an improved metabolic profile
compared to legacy CNIs. Aurinia anticipates that upon regulatory
approval, patent protection for voclosporin will be extended in the
United States and certain other major markets, including Europe and
Japan, until at least October 2027 under the Hatch-Waxman Act and
comparable laws in other countries and until April 2028 with anticipated
pediatric extension. Further, the new Notice of Allowance is
expected to result in the issuance of a U.S. patent with a term
extending to December 2037. If the FDA approves the use of voclosporin
for LN and the label for such use follows the dosing protocol under the
Notice of Allowance, the issuance of this patent will expand the scope
of intellectual property protection for voclosporin to December 2037.
About VOS
Voclosporin ophthalmic solution ("VOS") is an aqueous, preservative free
nanomicellar solution intended for use in the treatment of DES. A Phase
2a study was recently completed with results released in January of
2019. Previously, a Phase 1 study with healthy volunteers and patients
with DES was also completed as were studies in rabbit and dog models.
VOS has IP protection until 2031.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements made in this press release may constitute
forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian
securities law and forward-looking statements within the meaning of
applicable United States securities law. These forward-looking
statements or information include but are not limited to statements or
information with respect to: Aurinia's anticipation that upon regulatory
approval, patent protection for voclosporin will be extended in the
United States and certain other major markets, including Europe and
Japan, until at least October 2027 under the Hatch-Waxman Act and
comparable laws in other countries and until April 2028 with anticipated
pediatric extension; that the new Notice of Allowance is expected
to result in the issuance of a U.S. patent with a term extending to
December 2037; that if the FDA approves the use of voclosporin for LN
and the label for such use follows the dosing protocol under the Notice
of Allowance, the issuance of this patent will expand the scope of
intellectual property protection for voclosporin to December 2037. It is
possible that such results or conclusions may change based on further
analyses of these data. Words such as "anticipate", "will", "believe",
"estimate", "expect", "intend", "target", "plan", "goals", "objectives",
"may" and other similar words and expressions, identify forward-looking
statements. We have made numerous assumptions about the forward-looking
statements and information contained herein, including among other
things, assumptions about: Aurinia being able to extend and protect its
patents on terms acceptable to Aurinia. Even though the management of
Aurinia believes that the assumptions made, and the expectations
represented by such statements or information are reasonable, there can
be no assurance that the forward-looking information will prove to be
accurate.
Forward-looking information by their nature are based on assumptions and
involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which
may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Aurinia to
be materially different from any future results, performance or
achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking information.
Should one or more of these risks and uncertainties materialize, or
should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary
materially from those described in forward-looking statements or
information. Such risks, uncertainties and other factors include, among
others, the following: Aurinia not being able to extend or fully protect
its patent portfolio for voclosporin. Although we have attempted to
identify factors that would cause actual actions, events or results to
differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements and
information, there may be other factors that cause actual results,
performances, achievements or events to not be as anticipated, estimated
or intended. Also, many of the factors are beyond our control. There can
be no assurance that forward-looking statements or information will
prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ
materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, you
should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or
information.
Except as required by law, Aurinia will not update forward-looking
information. All forward-looking information contained in this press
release is qualified by this cautionary statement. Additional
information related to Aurinia, including a detailed list of the risks
and uncertainties affecting Aurinia and its business can be found in
Aurinia's most recent Annual Information Form available by accessing the
Canadian Securities Administrators' System for Electronic Document
Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR) website at www.sedar.com
or the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's Electronic Document
Gathering and Retrieval System (EDGAR) website at www.sec.gov/edgar.
We seek Safe Harbor
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