Date: 2015-10-21
Type of information: Licensing agreement
Compound: PBF-509
Company: Novartis (Switzerland) Palobiofarma (Spain)
Therapeutic area: Cancer - Oncology
Type agreement: licensing development
Action mechanism: adenosine A2A receptor antagonist. Tumour cells have developed mechanisms to evade the immune system, including through the production of a natural molecule called adenosine. By stimulating A2A receptors, adenosine stops T-cells within the immune system from proliferating and reduces their ability to destroy cancer cells. Blocking A2A receptors can therefore promote the anti-cancer response of T-cells within in the tumour microenvironment.
Disease:
Details: * On October 21, 2015, Palobiofarma and Novartis announced that they have entered into a licensing agreement. Under the terms of the agreement Novartis will acquire exclusive global rights to develop, manufacture and commercialize Palobiofarma´s adenosine A2A receptor antagonist PBF-509, currently entering Phase I clinical trials in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. Additionally, Novartis will get access to several adenosine-related patents from Palobiofarma related to the role of adenosine in immunotherapy. This program will be explored as monotherapy and in combination with chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CART) technology, novel checkpoint inhibitors, STING agonists and Novartis' deep portfolio of targeted therapies.
Financial terms: Palobiofarma will receive an upfront payment of $15 million and is eligible to receive near-term clinical, development and commercial milestones on successful projects as well up to double-digit tiered royalties on net sales.
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