Date: 2015-06-22
Type of information: Collaboration agreement
Compound: second generation T cell receptor (TCR) product candidates directed against the human papillomavirus type 16 E6 (HPV-16 E6) oncoprotein
Company: bluebird bio (USA - MA) Kite Pharma (USA - CA)
Therapeutic area: Cancer - Oncology - Infectious diseases
Type agreement: collaboration development commercialisation
Action mechanism: cell therapy/gene therapy
Disease: Human papillomavirus (HPV) associated cancers (cervical cancers, urogenital cancers)
Details: * On June 22, 2015, Kite Pharma and bluebird bio announced that they have entered into a collaboration agreement to co-develop and co-commercialize second generation T cell receptor (TCR) product candidates directed against the human papillomavirus type 16 E6 (HPV-16 E6) oncoprotein incorporating gene editing and lentiviral technologies. bluebird bio has a platform comprised of lentiviral gene delivery and gene editing capabilities, with a focus on rare diseases and cancer immunotherapies. Kite has a broad existing pipeline of TCR product candidates and will continue to develop its existing and wholly-owned TCR programs directed against high-risk HPV, which are unaffected by this collaboration, including HPV-16 E6 TCR, currently in a Phase I study, and HPV-16 E7 TCR. The collaboration brings together the powerful technologies and capabilities of these two leading immunotherapy companies. Under the terms of the agreement, both companies will jointly develop and commercialize second generation TCR product candidates directed against the HPV-16 E6 oncoprotein, incorporating gene editing to efficiently modify certain genes to enhance T cell function. In addition, the companies will explore using lentiviral vectors to optimize delivery of HPV-16 E6 TCRs into patient T cells. Kite will lead the program in the U.S., and bluebird bio will have the option to lead the program in the European Union . Both companies will share overall costs, including research and development and sales and marketing expenses, and profits will be equally split between the companies. Additionally, Kite will have a co-promotion option in the European Union , and bluebird will have a co-promotion option in the U.S.
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