Date: 2015-09-28
Type of information: Collaboration agreement
Compound: chimeric regulatory T-cell products (CAR-Treg)
Company: Ziopharm Oncology (USA - MA) Intrexon (USA - MD)
Therapeutic area: Transplantation
Type agreement: collaboration R&D
Action mechanism: immunotherapy product/cell therapy/gene therapy.
Disease: graft-versus-host disease (GvHD)
Details: * On September 28, 2015, Intrexon Corporation announced it has formed a new Exclusive Channel Collaboration (ECC) with Ziopharm Oncology, a biopharmaceutical company focused on new cancer immunotherapies, for the treatment and prevention of graft-versus-host disease (GvHD), a major complication of allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT) which significantly impairs the quality of life and survival of many recipients. The collaboration will focus on addressing the underlying pathologies of GvHD through engineered cell platforms to express and deliver interleukin-2 (IL-2), a cytokine critical for modulation of the immune system. Through the ECC, the companies plan to pursue engineered cell therapy strategies, used either separately or in combination, for targeted treatment of GvHD. The first approach is infusion of regulatory T cells (Tregs) conditionally expressing IL-2 utilizing Intrexon\'s proprietary gene control approaches such as its RheoSwitch® platform. The second is deployment of orally-delivered microbe-based ActoBiotics® therapeutics expressing IL-2 to modulate immune function. Allogeneic HSCT is used for the treatment of various diseases including hematological malignancies, immunological deficiencies as well as non-malignant conditions. Approximately 40 to 60% of HSCT recipients develop GvHD, either acute or chronic, when immune (graft) cells in a transplant patient recognize their engrafted host as foreign and attack the patient\'s (host) cells.
Immunosuppressive agents and systemic steroids routinely used to treat GvHD have limited efficacy and toxicity, defining the need for safer, more effective therapies. Human studies have shown that administration of low-dose subcutaneous IL-2 in patients with steroid-refractory GvHD acts via Tregs to ameliorate its manifestations.
The ECC intends to expand on the benefits of IL-2 immunotherapy under Intrexon\'s technologies to generate clinical-grade Tregs that can precisely deliver IL-2. In addition, the ActoBiotics® platform will be harnessed for its ability to target delivery of IL-2 to the digestive tract, a site which plays a significant role in the body\'s immune system. These new ways of treating and preventing GvHD have the potential to broaden the number of patients eligible to receive allogeneic HSCT and also increase the number of effective donor/recipient combinations.
Financial terms: Under the terms of the agreement, Intrexon will receive a technology access fee of $10 million in cash and reimbursement for all research and development costs. The agreement also provides for equal sharing of operating profits.
Latest news:
