Agreements

Date: 2017-12-06

Type of information: Licensing agreement

Compound: combinations of gamma secretase inhibitors (GSIs) and BCMA-directed engineered T cells

Company: Juno Therapeutics (USA - WA) Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (USA - WA) OncoTracker (USA - CA)

Therapeutic area: Cancer - Oncology

Type agreement: licensing

Action mechanism:

gamma secretase inhibitor/notch inhibitor/cell therapy/immunotherapy product/gene therapy/CAR-T cell therapy
Gamma secretase is an enzyme that cleaves a set of transmembrane proteins, including BCMA. Multiple publications have shown that treatment with GSIs can increase surface expression of B-cell Maturation Antigen (BCMA) on tumors, particularly multiple myeloma. Increased cell surface BCMA may increase potency of a BCMA-directed CAR T therapy.

Disease: multiple myeloma

Details:

• On December 6, 2017, Juno Therapeutics announced license agreements to advance its program in multiple myeloma using gamma secretase inhibitors (GSIs) in combination with BCMA-directed CAR T cells. Through its agreements with OncoTracker and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Juno will gain exclusive rights to intellectual property within the field of combinations of GSIs and BCMA-directed engineered T cells. Through an agreement with Eli Lilly Juno will also acquire a license to the GSI known as LY3039478, a product candidate that has been studied in 411 patients and healthy volunteers. No other terms from these three transactions were disclosed.

Financial terms:

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