SAN FRANCISCO and SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., Feb. 08, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TRIANNI, Inc. (“TRIANNI”) and Achaogen, Inc. (NASDAQ:AKAO), today announced a licensing agreement for Achaogen’s use of the Trianni Mouse Platform. The Trianni Transgenic Mouse Platform is a human monoclonal antibody discovery platform based on a novel chimeric gene segment design, and featuring extensive variable domain diversity. Achaogen, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel antibacterials to treat multi-drug resistant (MDR) gram-negative infections, plans to leverage the Trianni Platform for the discovery and development of antibodies against several novel targets.

“Achaogen's goal is to generate monoclonal antibodies to treat multi-drug resistant bacterial infections and we are excited to add the capabilities of the Trianni Mouse to our antibody discovery platform,” commented Lee Swem, Ph.D., Vice President and Head of Research at Achaogen. “We believe that the Trianni Mouse technology will allow us to rapidly realize the diversity of the human immune repertoire, while also speeding up development timelines.”

“We are happy that Achaogen has adopted the Trianni Mouse,” commented Dr. Matthias Wabl, Ph.D., Chairman and CEO of TRIANNI. “With its full repertoire of human immunoglobulin variable regions expressed from chemically synthesized chimeric gene segments, we believe the platform will prove highly productive for Achaogen.”

About Trianni, Inc.
Trianni is a privately held organization, formed in 2010 with a mission to use recent advances in DNA synthesis and genomic modification technology for the development of an optimized therapeutic antibody discovery platform, The Trianni Mouse. The company has research and administrative facilities in the San Francisco Bay Area (CA, USA) and in Research Triangle Park (NC, USA). For more information, please visit www.trianni.com.

About Achaogen
Achaogen is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company passionately committed to the discovery, development, and commercialization of novel antibacterials to treat MDR gram-negative infections. Achaogen is developing plazomicin, Achaogen's lead product candidate, for the treatment of serious lung, bloodstream, and urinary tract infections due to Enterobacteriaceae, including, but not limited to, carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE). Achaogen's plazomicin program is funded in part with a contract from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority. Plazomicin is the first clinical candidate from Achaogen's gram-negative antibiotic discovery engine, and Achaogen has other programs in early and late preclinical stages focused on other MDR gram-negative infections. For more information, please visit www.achaogen.com.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained herein are forward-looking statements reflecting the current beliefs and expectations of management made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including Achaogen’s plans to leverage the Trianni Platform for the discovery and development of antibodies against several novel targets expectations regarding and Achaogen’s expectations regarding (i) its goal to generate monoclonal antibodies to treat multi-drug resistant bacterial infections, (ii) its ability to add the capabilities of the Trianni Mouse to its antibody discovery platform, (iii) the Trianni Mouse technology’s ability to allow Achaogen to rapidly realize the diversity of the human immune repertoire, while also speeding up development timelines and (iv) whether the Trianni Platform will prove highly productive for Achaogen.  Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause Achaogen’s actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, among others, the uncertainties inherent in the preclinical and clinical development process; risks and uncertainties as to Achaogen’s ability to raise additional capital to support the development of preclinical programs; uncertainties regarding the availability of adequate third-party coverage and reimbursement for newly approved products; Achaogen’s reliance on third parties to conduct certain preclinical studies; Achaogen’s reliance on third-party contract manufacturing organizations to manufacture and supply its product candidates and certain raw materials used in the production thereof; Achaogen’s dependence on its President and Chief Executive Officer; risks and uncertainties related to the acceptance of government funding for certain of Achaogen’s programs, including the risk that the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority could terminate Achaogen’s contract for the funding of the plazomicin development program; risk of third party claims alleging infringement of patents and proprietary rights or seeking to invalidate Achaogen’s patents or proprietary rights; and the risk that Achaogen’s proprietary rights may be insufficient to protect its technologies and product candidates. For a further description of the risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from those expressed in these forward-looking statements, as well as risks relating to Achaogen’s business in general, see Achaogen’s current and future reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended September 30, 2015 and its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014. Achaogen does not plan to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements contained in this press release, whether as a result of any new information, future events, changed circumstances or otherwise.

Contacts - TRIANNI
Zishan Haroon, MD, PhD
Chief Business Officer
1.415.231.0257 [o]
drz@trianni.com	
Mandy Boyd
Director of Marketing
1.415.231.0256 [o]
1.866.674.9314 
mandy.boyd@trianni.com	
Contact – Achaogen
Candice Knoll
Blueprint Life Science Group 
1.415.375.3340 Ext. 4 
cknoll@bplifescience.com