Date: 2012-12-07
Type of information: R&D agreement
Compound: therapeutic antibodies which activate OX40
Company: GSK (UK) The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (USA)
Therapeutic area: Cancer - Oncology
Type agreement: R&D
licensing
Action mechanism: OX40 is one of these secondary or co-stimulatory receptor proteins. Yong-Jun Liu and his MD Anderson colleagues found that when it\'s activated, it enhances immune attack and blocks suppressors of immune response. They have generated and screened hundreds of antibodies that could potentially act as on switches for OX40 by mimicking its natural activator, OX40L, a molecule that binds to OX40.
Disease:
Details: The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and GSK have signed a research collaboration and license agreement to develop new therapeutic antibodies that promote an immune system attack against cancer. Under terms of the agreement, MD Anderson grants GSK exclusive worldwide rights to develop and commercialize the antibodies, which activate OX40 on the surface of T cells. They were discovered by Yong-Jun Liu, M.D., Ph.D., and colleagues. MD Anderson, through its new Institute for Applied Cancer Science (IACS), will collaborate with GSK to conduct preclinical research on the antibodies. Initial clinical trials will occur only after necessary preclinical drug development conducted under the agreement succeeds.
Financial terms: The overall potential value of the agreement to MD Anderson over the life of the agreement is estimated at more than $335 million. Under the terms of the agreement, MD Anderson will receive an upfront license payment and funding for IACS research collaboration activities, as well as payments for reaching development, regulatory and commercial milestones. In addition, MD Anderson will also be entitled to royalties deriving from the commercial sales of products developed under the collaboration.
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