Date: 2016-06-21
Type of information: Exercise of an option agreement
Compound: CAR-Treg patent for suppression of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases
Company: Txcell (France) Yeda Research and Development Company (Israel) Weizmann Institute of Science (Israel)
Therapeutic area: Autoimmune diseases - Inflammatory diseases
Type agreement: option agreement licensing agreement
Action mechanism: cell therapy/gene therapy/immunotherapy product
Disease:
Details: * On November 2, 2015, TxCell, a biotechnology company developing innovative, personalized T cell immunotherapies using regulatory T-cells for severe chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, announced that it has entered into an exclusive option agreement with Yeda Research and Development Co. Ltd, the technology transfer arm of the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel. Resulting from the exclusive option agreement, TxCell will gain exclusive access to a CAR-Treg patent for suppression of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases originated in the Weizmann Institute of Science laboratory of Professor Zelig Eshhar. The patent application under the option that TxCell has obtained covers redirected, genetically engineered T regulatory cells (CAR-Treg) and their use in suppression of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Professor Eshhar pioneered the CAR (Chimeric Antigen Receptor) approach. His achievements were recognized by several international awards, including the CAR Pioneering award by theATTACK European Consortium, the Teva and Massry prizes and, most recently, the Israel Prizein life sciences. The option agreement grants TxCell until June 30, 2016 to opt-in at predefined terms.
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Financial terms: Financial terms of the option and of the license were not disclosed.
Latest news: * On June 21, 2016, TxCell announced the grant by the European Patent Office of the patent covering all redirected, genetically engineered T regulatory cells (CAR–Tregs) and their use in the suppression of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases (patent identification number: EP 2126054). As a result, TxCell has exercised its option and signed an exclusive worldwide licensing agreement with Yeda Research and Development, the technology transfer arm of the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel and owner of the patent. TxCell originally signed the option agreement with Yeda Research and Development in June 2015. As per the terms of the current license agreement, TxCell has now been granted exclusive worldwide rights to, notably, develop and commercialize CAR-Treg products for the treatment of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, as covered by the patent family. “The CAR-Treg field holds significant promise for the treatment of autoimmune and inflammatory disorders. Obtaining the exclusive license for the first global patent family covering the use of CAR-Tregs for the treatment of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases will be key in maintaining TxCell’s lead position in this field,” said Stéphane Boissel, Chief Executive Officer of TxCell. “TxCell has continued to make rapid progress with its work in the CAR-Treg area through its second technology platform, ENTrIA. This enabled us to recently establish two collaborations with leading European research institutions to target lupus nephritis and bullous pemphigoid. TxCell intends to establish further strategic partnerships as well as pursuing research and patenting activities in additional indications.”
