Date: 2016-08-02
Type of information: Development agreement
Compound: ADXS-NEO
Company: Amgen (USA - CA) Advaxis (USA - NJ)
Therapeutic area: Cancer - Oncology
Type agreement: developement commercialisation
Action mechanism: immunotherapy product. The Advaxis Lm Technology™ utilizes live attenuated Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) bioengineered to produce and deliver tumor antigen/adjuvant fusion proteins within antigen presenting cells with the goal of generating strong, T-cell-mediated immunity. For ADXS-NEO, DNA from each patient's primary tumor and/or metastases as well as normal cells, is sequenced and compared to identify mutations in genes coding for potential neo-antigens in the cancer. Advaxis then engineers and manufactures patient-specific Lm-LLO (listeriolysin O) vectors capable of immunizing them against neoepitopes exclusive to their cancer. After the ADXS-NEO infusion, neoepitope peptides corresponding to each patient's cancer-associated mutations are delivered directly into their antigen presenting cells by Lm-LLO, where they can stimulate cellular immune responses against multiple neoepitopes simultaneously.
Disease:
Details: * On August 2, 2016, Amgen and Advaxis announced a global agreement for the development and commercialization of Advaxis' ADXS-NEO, a novel, preclinical investigational cancer immunotherapy treatment that is designed to activate a patient's immune system to respond against the unique mutations, or neoepitopes, contained in and identified from each individual patient's tumor. This collaboration brings together Amgen's development expertise in immuno-oncology with Advaxis' MINE™ (My Immunotherapy Neo-Epitopes) program, which is uniquely positioned to develop a customized approach to cancer treatment. Clinical trials for ADXS-NEO are expected to begin in 2017.
Financial terms: Under the terms of the agreement, Amgen receives exclusive worldwide rights to develop and commercialize ADXS-NEO. Amgen will make an upfront payment to Advaxis of $40 million and purchase $25 million of Advaxis common stock. Amgen will be fully responsible for funding clinical and commercial activities. Advaxis will lead the clinical development of ADXS-NEO through proof-of-concept, retain manufacturing responsibilities, and receive development, regulatory and sales milestone payments of up to $475 million and potential high single digit to mid-double digit royalty payments based on worldwide sales.
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