{"id":32619,"date":"2018-02-09T17:20:00","date_gmt":"2018-02-09T22:20:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sciencebusiness.technewslit.com\/?p=32619"},"modified":"2018-02-10T12:40:34","modified_gmt":"2018-02-10T17:40:34","slug":"biotechs-collaborate-on-immunotherapies-in-1-2b-deal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/technewslit.com\/sciencebusiness\/?p=32619","title":{"rendered":"Biotechs Collaborate on Immunotherapies in $1.2B Deal"},"content":{"rendered":"
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(Gerd Altmann, Pixabay)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

9 February 2018. Two biotechnology companies developing cancer therapies harnessing the immune system are partnering on new treatments for solid tumor and blood-related cancers. The licensing and research deal with Seattle Genetics Inc.<\/a> in Bothell, Washington could bring Pieris Pharmaceuticals Inc.<\/a> in Boston as much as $1.2 billion if all aspects of the agreement go into effect.<\/p>\n

Both Pieris Pharmaceuticals and Seattle Genetics develop therapies with engineered biologics. Pieris, founded in 2010, designs synthetic proteins<\/a> with a platform the company calls anticalins<\/a>, low molecular weight proteins similar to lipocalin proteins<\/a> found in blood plasma. The company says its anticalins retain the basic natural structure of lipocalins, but add an addressable pocket that provides a tight binding site for therapeutic agents. In addition, says Pieris, anticalin therapies act against a wide variety of treatment targets, provide a durable delivery, and are shown to be safe for patients.<\/p>\n

Pieris says it has a library of more than 100 million anticalin proteins, which can be further configured to meet specific therapeutic needs. In 2017, the company entered into licensing agreements<\/a> with the pharmaceutical company Servier for cancer immunotherapies and AstraZeneca for biologics to treat asthma and other respiratory diseases.<\/p>\n

Seattle Genetics creates mainly cancer therapies, with its main technology using antibody-drug conjugates<\/a>. These therapies combine<\/a> the precise targeting of engineered antibodies with cancer-killing agents like chemotherapies. Because of their more exact targeting, they concentrate the cell-killing effects on cancer cells, sparing healthy cells and tissue, unlike systemic chemotherapy drugs. Like Pieris, Seattle Genetics has a large library of antibody-drug conjugates with engineered antibodies addressing a wide range of cancer targets.<\/p>\n

The collaboration plans to produce cancer treatments that combine features of the two respective technologies, resulting in antibody-anticalin fusion proteins, according to the companies. These bi-specific proteins, say Pieris and Seattle Genetics, will be engineered to bind highly-targeted antibodies to anticalin proteins, and in the process overcome some limitations of current cancer immunotherapies. Antibody-anticalin proteins, say the companies, will be designed to activate the patient’s immune system cells to attack tumors and the supporting tumor microenvironment.<\/p>\n

Under the agreement, Seattle Genetics is paying Pieris an initial fee of $30 million, with the two companies developing an unspecified number of antibody-anticalin fusion protein candidates. Seattle Genetics will then have the option of choosing up to 3 of these candidates for further development. Seattle Genetics will fund and develop 2 of these candidates, with Pieris retaining the option to co-develop and commercialize the third therapy. Pieris will be eligible under the deal for milestone payments of up to $1.2 billion, as well as royalties on sales of products developed under the collaboration.<\/p>\n

“This partnership,” says Dennis Benjamin, vice-president for research at Seattle Genetics in a joint statement, “leverages our cancer targets and tumor-specific antibodies to explore multiple novel bi-specific combinations, with the goal of developing targeted therapies that improve outcomes for people with cancer.”<\/p>\n

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