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Celgene, Immatics strike deal on adoptive cell therapy development
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Immatics Biotechnologies, a Germany-based biopharma company, has entered into a strategic agreement with Celgene on the development of new adoptive cell therapies for the treatment of cancer, according to a company press release.
Adoptive cell therapy is a type of immunotherapy that uses a patient’s own or donor T cells, sometimes genetically engineered, which are then reinfused into the patient to treat cancer.
Immatics will use its proprietary technology to develop T-cell receptor engineered cell therapies for solid tumors, with T-cell receptors being identified by the company’s XCEPTOR platform and unique tumor targets via its XPRESIDENT platform. Immatics will develop engineered T-cell receptor therapies to their candidate stage, leaving Celgene with the ability to exercise its opt-in rights to further develop, manufacture and commercialize the engineered T-cell receptor therapy under terms of the agreement.
“We are delighted to enter into this strategic collaboration with Celgene,” Harpreet Singh, PhD, CEO of Immatics, said in the release.
“This alliance leverages Immatics’ excellence in developing adoptive cell therapies and complements our proprietary clinical pipeline of ACT products and our strong portfolio of bispecific products,” he added.
Financial terms of the agreement include a $75 million upfront payment from Celgene to Immatics for three therapy programs currently in development (ACTolog, ACTengine and ACTallo). Immatics will also be eligible to receive up to $505 million for each licensed product in option exercise payments, development, regulatory and commercial milestone payments, and as tiered royalties on net sales of each licensed product.
Immatics said it would maintain “certain early stage co-development rights or co-funding rights for selected TCR-T-cell therapies” as part of the terms of the agreement.
“By combining Immatics’ world-leading discovery engines as well as our cellular manufacturing and clinical development platforms with Celgene’s broad expertise in cell therapy research, development and commercialization, the companies join forces to enable the development of truly novel opportunities for patients with solid tumors who currently have no other treatment options,” Singh said.
Reference:
Immatics Biotechnologies. Immatics and Celgene enter strategic collaboration to develop novel adoptive cell therapies [press release]. August 28, 2019. Available at: https://immatics.com/press-release/immatics-and-celgene-enter-strategic-collaboration-to-develop-novel-adoptive-cell-therapies.html. Accessed August 29, 2019.