Date: 2017-12-05
Type of information: Licensing agreement
Compound: LY3039478
Company: Juno Therapeutics (USA - WA) Eli Lilly (USA - IN)
Therapeutic area: Cancer - Oncology
Type agreement: licensing
Action mechanism:
- gamma secretase inhibitor/notch inhibitor/cell therapy/immunotherapy product/gene therapy/CAR-T cell therapy
- Gamma secretase is an enzyme that cleaves a set of transmembrane proteins, including BCMA. Multiple publications have shown that treatment with GSIs can increase surface expression of B-cell Maturation Antigen (BCMA) on tumors, particularly multiple myeloma. Increased cell surface BCMA may increase potency of a BCMA-directed CAR T therapy.
- LY3039478 is a small molecule that has been shown in vitro to inhibit Notch signaling. It prevents release of Notch intracellular domain (NICD) by inhibiting proteolytic activity of ?-secretase complex and thereby decreasing Notch signaling and its downstream biologic effects. LY3039478 is being investigated in a clinical trial in patients with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia or T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma, and in phase I clinical trials.
Disease: multiple myeloma
Details:
- • On December 6, 2017, Juno Therapeutics announced license agreements to advance its program in multiple myeloma using gamma secretase inhibitors (GSIs) in combination with BCMA (B-cell Maturation Antigen-directed CAR T cells. Through an agreement with Eli Lilly, Juno will acquire a license to the GSI known as LY3039478, a product candidate that has been studied in 411 patients and healthy volunteers. No other terms the transaction were disclosed.
- Through agreements with OncoTracker and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Juno will also gain exclusive rights to intellectual property within the field of combinations of GSIs and BCMA-directed engineered T cells.
Financial terms:
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Is general: Yes