GAITHERSBURG, MD and TARRYTOWN, NY, USA I April 5, 2016 I MedImmune, the global biologics research and development arm of AstraZeneca (LSE: AZN, SSE: AZN, NYSE: AZN), and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., today announced that they have entered into a licensing agreement under which Regeneron will use MedImmune’s pyrrolobenzodiazepine (PBD)-based warhead and linker technology to produce antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) as potential cancer treatments.
Regeneron will have exclusive rights to utilize MedImmune’s proprietary PBD technology to develop ADCs against a number of cancer targets. MedImmune will receive an upfront payment, development and commercial milestone payments, as well as single-digit royalties on net sales of such products. MedImmune has the option to develop and commercialize certain products created with this technology in territories outside of the United States.
“Developing next generation antibody-drug conjugates, including our proprietary PBD technology, is one of our key strategic platforms in advancing cancer therapies. Today’s collaboration represents our third partnership in this area, as we look to grow our ADC portfolio both internally and externally,” said Ronald Herbst, Vice President, Oncology Research & Development, MedImmune. “We are pleased to be working with Regeneron, a company that is committed to advancing scientific innovation in cancer treatments. Regeneron’s research capabilities complements our commitment to discovering and developing the next generation of cancer therapies.”
ADCs are a promising area of cancer drug technology which may help enable the selective killing of cancer cells by combining a cytotoxic agent, or “warhead”, with specific cancer-targeting antibodies. MedImmune is committed to advancing its pre-clinical and clinical stage ADC portfolio, in addition to its focus in immuno-oncology.
“We believe the most successful approaches to cancer R&D will combine multiple innovative therapies and technologies, and therefore we are pursuing a diverse array of strategies, pathways and modalities including ADCs, bispecific antibodies and monocolonal antibodies,” said George D. Yancopoulos, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of Regeneron and President of Regeneron Laboratories. “This new agreement will further bolster our efforts to advance new, effective treatment options for cancer patients in need.”
Regeneron’s clinical pipeline in oncology includes a PD-1 checkpoint inhibitor antibody, which is being developed in collaboration with Sanofi and a CD20xCD3 bispecific antibody. Regeneron expects to advance multiple additional candidates into human clinical trials over the next 12 to 24 months.
MedImmune’s PBD technology was invented and developed by Spirogen, a company acquired by MedImmune in 2013.
About MedImmune:
MedImmune is the global biologics research and development arm of AstraZeneca, a global, innovation-driven biopharmaceutical business that focuses on the discovery, development and commercialization of small molecule and biologic prescription medicines. MedImmune is pioneering innovative research and exploring novel pathways across key therapeutic areas, including respiratory, inflammation and autoimmunity; cardiovascular and metabolic disease; oncology; neuroscience; and infection and vaccines. The MedImmune headquarters is located in Gaithersburg, Md., one of AstraZeneca’s three global R&D centers, with additional sites in Cambridge, UK and Mountain View, CA. For more information, please visit www.medimmune.com.
About Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Regeneron (NASDAQ: REGN) is a leading science-based biopharmaceutical company based in Tarrytown, New York that discovers, invents, develops, manufactures and commercializes medicines for the treatment of serious medical conditions. Regeneron commercializes medicines for high LDL cholesterol, eye diseases and a rare inflammatory condition and has product candidates in development in other areas of high unmet medical need, including oncology, rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, atopic dermatitis, pain, and infectious diseases. For additional information about the company, please visit www.regeneron.com or follow @Regeneron on Twitter.
SOURCE: Regeneron Pharmaceuticals
Post Views: 28
GAITHERSBURG, MD and TARRYTOWN, NY, USA I April 5, 2016 I MedImmune, the global biologics research and development arm of AstraZeneca (LSE: AZN, SSE: AZN, NYSE: AZN), and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., today announced that they have entered into a licensing agreement under which Regeneron will use MedImmune’s pyrrolobenzodiazepine (PBD)-based warhead and linker technology to produce antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) as potential cancer treatments.
Regeneron will have exclusive rights to utilize MedImmune’s proprietary PBD technology to develop ADCs against a number of cancer targets. MedImmune will receive an upfront payment, development and commercial milestone payments, as well as single-digit royalties on net sales of such products. MedImmune has the option to develop and commercialize certain products created with this technology in territories outside of the United States.
“Developing next generation antibody-drug conjugates, including our proprietary PBD technology, is one of our key strategic platforms in advancing cancer therapies. Today’s collaboration represents our third partnership in this area, as we look to grow our ADC portfolio both internally and externally,” said Ronald Herbst, Vice President, Oncology Research & Development, MedImmune. “We are pleased to be working with Regeneron, a company that is committed to advancing scientific innovation in cancer treatments. Regeneron’s research capabilities complements our commitment to discovering and developing the next generation of cancer therapies.”
ADCs are a promising area of cancer drug technology which may help enable the selective killing of cancer cells by combining a cytotoxic agent, or “warhead”, with specific cancer-targeting antibodies. MedImmune is committed to advancing its pre-clinical and clinical stage ADC portfolio, in addition to its focus in immuno-oncology.
“We believe the most successful approaches to cancer R&D will combine multiple innovative therapies and technologies, and therefore we are pursuing a diverse array of strategies, pathways and modalities including ADCs, bispecific antibodies and monocolonal antibodies,” said George D. Yancopoulos, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of Regeneron and President of Regeneron Laboratories. “This new agreement will further bolster our efforts to advance new, effective treatment options for cancer patients in need.”
Regeneron’s clinical pipeline in oncology includes a PD-1 checkpoint inhibitor antibody, which is being developed in collaboration with Sanofi and a CD20xCD3 bispecific antibody. Regeneron expects to advance multiple additional candidates into human clinical trials over the next 12 to 24 months.
MedImmune’s PBD technology was invented and developed by Spirogen, a company acquired by MedImmune in 2013.
About MedImmune:
MedImmune is the global biologics research and development arm of AstraZeneca, a global, innovation-driven biopharmaceutical business that focuses on the discovery, development and commercialization of small molecule and biologic prescription medicines. MedImmune is pioneering innovative research and exploring novel pathways across key therapeutic areas, including respiratory, inflammation and autoimmunity; cardiovascular and metabolic disease; oncology; neuroscience; and infection and vaccines. The MedImmune headquarters is located in Gaithersburg, Md., one of AstraZeneca’s three global R&D centers, with additional sites in Cambridge, UK and Mountain View, CA. For more information, please visit www.medimmune.com.
About Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Regeneron (NASDAQ: REGN) is a leading science-based biopharmaceutical company based in Tarrytown, New York that discovers, invents, develops, manufactures and commercializes medicines for the treatment of serious medical conditions. Regeneron commercializes medicines for high LDL cholesterol, eye diseases and a rare inflammatory condition and has product candidates in development in other areas of high unmet medical need, including oncology, rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, atopic dermatitis, pain, and infectious diseases. For additional information about the company, please visit www.regeneron.com or follow @Regeneron on Twitter.
SOURCE: Regeneron Pharmaceuticals
Post Views: 28
