MolMed will develop and supply viral vectors for CAR-T programs of Autolus Therapeutics for the treatment of cancer.

MILAN, Italy I March 6, 2020 I MolMed S.p.A. (MLMD.MI), a biotechnology company focused on research, development, production and clinical validation of gene and cell therapies for the treatment of cancer and rare diseases, announces the execution of a development and supply agreement with Autolus Therapeutics plc (Nasdaq: AUTL), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing next-generation programmed T cell therapies for the treatment of cancer.

Under the multi-year agreement, MolMed will develop and supply viral vectors for the manufacture of certain Autolus’ CAR-T programs for use in clinical trials and potentially for commercial sale.

Riccardo Palmisano, MolMed’s CEO commented: “We are delighted and proud to announce this new strategic agreement with Autolus Therapeutics, one of the worldwide leading CAR-T companies whose products have the potential to be best in class therapies in different oncological indications. This partnership confirms MolMed’s recognized excellence in delivering GMP services and further reinforces its strategic positioning as a major CDMO player in cell & gene space, driving sustainable growth and profitability”.

About MolMed

MolMed S.p.A. is a clinical stage biotech company focused on research, development, manufacturing and clinical validation of innovative therapies. MolMed is the first company in Europe to have obtained the GMP manufacturing authorization for cell & gene therapies ex vivo for its proprietary products as well as for third parties and/or in partnership (Strimvelis, an Orchard gene therapy for the ADA-SCID). With reference to GMP development and manufacturing activities for third parties, MolMed signed numerous partnership agreements with leading European and US companies. MolMed’s is also developing a new therapeutic platform based on Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR), both autologous and allogeneic; the most advanced product, CAR-T CD44v6, which in March 2019 received the authorization to start human clinical trials in onco-hematologic indications (AML and MM), following an extensive pre-clinical phase. The product, whose innovative spacer incorporated in the CAR protein received in May 2019 the confirmation of grant, is potentially effective also in several epithelial solid tumors. MolMed is also developing a pipeline based on NK (Natural Killer) cells, following a research agreement signed in 2018 with Glycostem. MolMed, founded in 1996 as an academic spin-off of the San Raffaele Scientific Institute, is listed on the main market (MTA) of the Milan stock exchange managed by Borsa Italiana since March 2008. MolMed is headquartered and based in Milan, at the San Raffaele Biotechnology Department (DIBIT) and has an operating unit at OpenZone in Bresso. For more information please visit www.molmed.com.

About Autolus

Autolus is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing next-generation, programmed T cell therapies for the treatment of cancer. Using a broad suite of proprietary and modular T cell programming technologies, the company is engineering precisely targeted, controlled and highly active T cell therapies that are designed to better recognize cancer cells, break down their defense mechanisms and eliminate these cells. Autolus has a pipeline of product candidates in development for the treatment of hematological malignancies and solid tumors. For more information please visit www.autolus.com.

SOURCE: MolMed