Date: 2013-01-29
Type of information: R&D agreement
Compound: three antibody products targeting immune checkpoints important in cancer therapy
Company: 4-Antibody AG (Switzerland) Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research (LICR) Recepta Biopharma (Brazil)
Therapeutic area: Cancer - Oncology
Type agreement: R&D
Action mechanism:
Disease:
Details: * On May 16, 2011, 4-Antibody has signed a multi-target research alliance with the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research (LICR). Under the terms of the deal, the focus of the research and clinical development alliance will be on a series of molecular targets which are important in the suppression of the immune response in cancer.
4-Antibody will use its high throughput Retrocyte Display® technology platform to generate and produce fully human therapeutic antibodies against a series of disease targets with key roles in the suppression of immune response in cancer patients.
The Ludwig Institute will then take these antibody drugs into early clinical testing with the specific clinical goal of demonstrating the feasibility of reversing immunosuppression in cancer. At the point at which the programmes have achieved agreed technical milestones, 4-Antibody will seek pharmaceutical partnerships for the emerging product opportunities.
Financial terms: Financial details were not disclosed.
Latest news: * On January 29, 2013, 4-Antibody AG and the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research have announced the signing of a multi-target R&D collaboration with Recepta Biopharma SA, a Brazilian developer of therapeutic antibodies founded by the Ludwig Institute and Brazilian investors. This represents an expansion of a partnership the Ludwig Institute and 4-Antibody initiated over a year ago. Financial details were not disclosed. The focus of the research and clinical development partnership will be the generation and development of three antibody products targeting immune checkpoints important in cancer therapy.
4-Antibody will use its high-throughput Retrocyte Display® technology platform to generate and produce fully human therapeutic antibodies against three targets with key roles in the suppression of immune responses in patients with cancer. The parties anticipate the first candidate to enter clinical trials in early 2015.
The Ludwig Institute will validate the new constructs and then, together with Recepta Biopharma, take these antibody drugs into early clinical testing in cancer in both the United States and Brazil, respectively.
Under the terms of the deal, 4-Antibody and Ludwig jointly own the antibody drugs while Recepta Biopharma obtains exclusive commercial rights to Brazil in return for undisclosed licensing fees. 4-Antibody will take the lead securing commercialization partners for the antibody drugs in territories outside Brazil on behalf of itself and Ludwig. Future returns from the collaboration outside of Brazil will be shared among the three parties.
