Precision Bio reacquires global rights to its allogenic CAR-T programs

M&As

Sanofi to acquire Tidal Therapeutics focused on democratization of immune cell therapies

Tidal is the latest example of a vector-focused company enabling democratization of immune cell therapies via in vivo engineering. Shareholders of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center spinout will receive $160 million upfront and up to $310 million in milestone payments from Sanofi. Sanofi plans to develop Tidal’s cell type-selective mRNA delivery technology for immuno-oncology and inflammatory disease applications.

PARTNERING

Precision Bio reacquired rights to set of its CAR-T programs from Servier

A collection of CAR T-cell programs originally licensed by Precision Biosciences to Baxalta in a $1.6 billion deal are, after handoffs to Shire and Servier, back where they began. Precision will reacquire all development and commercial rights to the programs, including two clinical-stage CD19-targeting allogeneic CAR T candidates, from Servier for $1.25 million in cash, plus the waiver of earned but as-yet unpaid milestones totaling $18.75 million. The clinical programs included in the deal are Precision's lead candidate, PBCAR-0191 (azercabtagenezapreleucel), an allogeneic CAR T-cell candidate for the potential treatment of NHL, B-cell ALL and other cancers, and PBCAR-19B, another allogeneic T-cell candidate for the potential treatment of CD19-expressing hematologic malignancies. It is slated to enter the clinic for NHL in May. Programs for four additional product targets are also returning to Precision. Preclinical data on PBCAR-19B looks like the most innovative and compelling strategy in the allo CAR T field. Servier has certain rights of negotiation if Precision elects to repartner the programs. Servier also remains eligible to receive milestones and low-to mid-single-digit royalties on the programs, subject to product development milestones. In addition to PBCAR-0191 and PBCAR-19B, Precision's wholly owned pipeline now includes PBCAR-20A, an allogeneic CAR T-cell candidate targeting CD20; PBCAR-269A, an allogeneic CAR T-cell therapy targeting BCMA; and the four hematologic and solid tumor programs just repurchased from Servier.

I-Mab collaborates with China's Genechem to develop bispecific antibodies

Research company Shanghai Genechem announced a global collaboration with I-Mab to develop and commercialize multiple bispecific antibodies based on monoclonal antibody developed by Genechem and antibodies selected by I-MAB.   This collaboration is the first of many that will leverage Genechem's Good Research Practice and CHAMP antibody discovery platform. Earlier that day, I-Mab together with South Korean biotech ABL Bio announced that the first patient has been dosed in a phase 1 trial for bi-specific antibody.

Peptron out-licensed global rights to its preclinical ADC candidate for $3 million upfront

Qilusigned a deal for the global rights to Peptron’s ADC candidate PAb-001-ADC for the treatment of various cancers. Peptronwill receive an upfront payment of $3 million and $539 million in milestone payments, as well as royalties. Peptron licensed the drug from Hallym University in 2016 and began developing it in earnest a year later. On the verge of IND-enabling studies, PAb-001-ADC works by targeting the membrane-residual and anchored MUC1-C antigen, thus distinguishing it from other N-term targeting antibody programs. The targeting is done via a pepgen platform technology, an immuno-stimulating technique via TLR-9 signal activation.