Date: 2015-03-04
Type of information: Exercise of an option agreement
Compound: antibody drug candidates - ARGX-115
Company: arGEN-X (The Netherlands - Belgium) de Duve Institute/UCL (Belgium)
Therapeutic area: Cancer - Oncology
Type agreement: R&D
Action mechanism: monoclonal antibody. Tumors can suppress the immune system by co-opting different immunosuppressive cells such as regulatory T-cells (Tregs), which exert contact-dependent inhibition of immune cells through the production of active TGF-Beta. On Treg cell surface, the membrane protein GARP regulates the production of active TGF-Beta. Preclinical studies completed at de Duve Institute/UCL/WELBIO show ARGX-115 can inhibit the immunosuppressive activity of human Tregs by binding to GARP-inactive TGF-Beta complex and preventing release of active TGF-Beta.
Disease:
Details: * On November 4, 2013, arGEN-X has announced the signing of a research and license agreement with de Duve Institute/UCL. Under the terms of the agreement, the parties will closely collaborate to use arGEN-X' SIMPLE Antibody™ technology in validating the biology of a novel cancer immunomodulation target and creating functional leads with therapeutic potential. arGEN-X has an option to develop and commercialize resulting antibody drug candidates on an exclusive basis, from which both parties will share the rewards. This agreement marks arGEN-X’ first collaboration under its strategy of engaging with research centers of excellence, to deploy SIMPLE Antibody™ in validating and drugging novel targets in cancer and inflammation.Prof. Dr. Hans de Haard, Chief Scientific Officer of arGEN-X commented: "de Duve Institute/UCL has extensive expertise and know-how in cancer immunology. The concept of overcoming immune tolerance in cancer has been clinically validated with the recent approval of ipilimumab, an anti-CTLA-4 antibody. This collaboration, which we intend to broaden over time, will focus on enhancing anti-tumor responses with fewer side effects. The program is a great complement to our portfolio of immune modulation strategies in cancer, spearheaded by ARGX-110, our clinical stage anti-CD70 antibody."
Financial terms:
Latest news: * On March 4, 2015, arGEN-X announced that it has exercised its option to exclusively license a first-in-class, preclinical therapeutic antibody candidate, now ARGX-115, to target GARP, a novel immune checkpoint with potential in cancer immunotherapy. ARGX-115 was discovered under arGEN-X’ Innovative Access Program with de Duve Institute / Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL) / WELBIO (BE). It results from the collaboration initiated in November 2013, leveraging the SIMPLE Antibody™ platform and the experience of de Duve Institute/UCL/WELBIO in cancer immunology, in order to create and validate functional leads and druggable targets in oncology. " Preclinical results illustrate the potential of ARGX-115 as a first-in-class antibody targeting GARP, a novel immune checkpoint and a target we believe to play a key role in the ability of tumors to escape the patient’s immune system,” commented Tim Van Hauwermeiren, CEO of arGEN-X. The compay expects to initiate further preclinical studies of ARGX-115 in the near-term
