AZ will acquire neoantigen-targeting TCR company Neogene for $200 million upfront

ACQUISITIONS

AZ reveals its cell therapy ambitions with deal for Neogene Therapeutics

AstraZeneca will pay $200 million upfront to acquire privately held Neogene Therapeutics, which maintains dual headquarters in Santa Monica, and Amsterdam. The deal includes a further $120 million in future payouts, which the companies described as including both contingent milestones and non-contingent payments. Neogene will become an operating subsidiary of AstraZeneca and will maintain a presence in both California and the Netherlands.

In May, Neogene said a Dutch regulatory authority had cleared it to proceed with a Phase 1 study of autologous, multispecific therapy NT-125 to treat solid tumors. Neogene is in a subset that is using engineered TCRs to target shared neoantigens. The idea is to create highly selective, potent immunotherapies that target antigens expressed only on tumors.

PARTNERING

Regeneron and CytomX announced collaboration in the field of conditional bispecific therapeutics

Regeneron and CytomX announced a collaboration and licensing agreement to create conditionally-activated investigational bispecific cancer therapies utilizing CytomX's Probody therapeutic platform and Regeneron's Veloci-Bi bispecific antibody development platform. The collaboration is strategically focused on applying CytomX's biologic masking strategies to develop investigational Regeneron bispecifics that remain inactive until activated by proteases in the tumor microenvironment.

Regeneron and CytomX will collaborate on the discovery activities to identify and validate conditionally active bispecific antibodies. Regeneron will be responsible for funding preclinical and clinical development and commercialization activities. CytomX will receive an upfront payment of $30 million and will be eligible to receive future target nomination payments and preclinical, clinical, and commercial milestones of up to $2 billion.

BioNTech and Ryvu enter into global collaboration to develop immunemodulatory compounds

The companies announced they have entered into a multi-target research collaboration for several small molecule immunotherapy programs as well as an exclusive license agreement for Ryvu’s STING agonist portfolio as standalone small molecules. The global collaboration will consist of two parts. BioNTech will receive a global, exclusive license to develop and commercialize Ryvu’s STING agonist portfolio as standalone small molecules, including as monotherapy and in therapeutic combinations. In addition, BioNTech and Ryvu will jointly undertake drug discovery and research projects to develop multiple small molecule programs directed at exclusive targets selected by BioNTech, primarily focused on immune modulation within oncology, with potential applications in other disease areas.

BioNTech has the option to license global development and commercialization rights to these programs at the development candidate stage. BioNTech will pay Ryvu an upfront fee of €20 million in exchange for certain rights to Ryvu’s STING agonist portfolio as standalone small molecules and for certain rights and options to license multiple small molecule programs as part of a multi-target research collaboration. In addition, BioNTech has committed to make an equity investment of €20 million. BioNTech will fund all discovery, research and development activities, including Ryvu’s discovery and research activities under the multi-target research collaboration. Ryvu will be eligible to receive success-based development, regulatory and commercialization milestone payments, as well as low single-digit royalties.

Exelixis and Sairopa establish collaboration to develop ADU-1805

Exelixis announced that the companies have entered into an exclusive clinical development and option agreement for ADU-1805, a potentially best-in-class monoclonal antibody that targets SIRPα. SIRPα expressed on myeloid cells interacts with CD47 present on the surface of cancer cells and blocks the ability of macrophages to clear tumor cells via phagocytosis and inhibits tumor antigen presentation to T-cells. ADU-1805 is active against all human alleles of SIRPα, which may allow it to address a broader patient population than other SIRPα-directed therapies.

Exelixis will make an upfront payment to Sairopa of $40 million and an additional $70 million in near-term milestones for an option to obtain an exclusive, worldwide license to develop and commercialize ADU-1805 and other anti-SIRPα antibodies, and for certain expenses to be incurred by Sairopa in conducting prespecified phase 1 clinical studies of ADU-1805 during the option period. Following the completion of the prespecified clinical studies, Exelixis has the right to exercise its option for an option exercise fee of $225 million.