Iovance Biotherapeutics Will Use TALEN® Technology from Cellectis to Develop Gene-Edited TIL
SAN CARLOS, CA and NEW YORK, NY, USA I January 12, 2020 I Iovance Biotherapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: IOVA), a late-stage biotechnology company developing novel T cell-based cancer immunotherapies, and Cellectis (Euronext Growth: ALCLS – NASDAQ: CLLS), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing immunotherapies based on gene-edited allogeneic CAR T-Cells (UCART), announced today that the companies have entered into a research collaboration and exclusive worldwide license agreement whereby Iovance will license certain TALEN® technology from Cellectis in order to develop tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) that have been genetically edited to create more potent cancer therapeutics.
The worldwide exclusive license enables Iovance Biotherapeutics’ use of TALEN® technology addressing multiple gene targets to modify TIL for therapeutic use in several cancer indications. Financial terms of the license include development, regulatory and sales milestone payments from Iovance Biotherapeutics to Cellectis, as well as royalty payments based on net sales of TALEN®-modified TIL products.
“We are very excited to be collaborating with Cellectis in applying the TALEN® gene-editing technology to Iovance’s TIL product. We believe that we can genetically modify TIL to make a more tumor-reactive anti-cancer product,” said Maria Fardis, Ph.D., MBA, President and Chief Executive Officer of Iovance Biotherapeutics. She added: “We plan to move a TALEN®-edited TIL therapy into a clinical trial as rapidly as possible.”
“We are thrilled to be working with Iovance and believe that applying our TALEN® technology to TIL-based products will yield even better treatments for a variety of cancers,” added André Choulika, Ph.D., Chairman and CEO, Cellectis. “Patients remain at the heart of our company and it is our sincere hope that this collaboration can help provide more efficacious options to those in need.”
About Iovance Biotherapeutics, Inc.
Iovance Biotherapeutics aims to improve patient care by making T cell-based immunotherapies broadly accessible for the treatment of patients with solid tumors and blood cancers. Tumor infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy uses a patient’s own immune cells to attack cancer. TIL cells are extracted from a patient’s own tumor tissue, expanded through a proprietary process, and infused back into the patient. After infusion, TIL reach tumor tissue, where they attack tumor cells. The company is currently conducting pivotal studies in patients with metastatic melanoma and advanced cervical cancer. In addition, the company’s TIL therapies are being investigated for the treatment of patients with locally advanced, recurrent or metastatic cancers including head and neck and non-small cell lung cancer. A clinical study to investigate Iovance’s T cell therapy for blood cancers called peripheral blood lymphocyte (PBL) therapy is being initiated. For more information, please visit www.iovance.com.
About Cellectis
Cellectis is developing the first of its kind allogeneic approach for CAR-T therapies, pioneering the concept of off-the-shelf and ready-to-use gene-edited CAR-T cells to treat patients. As a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company with over 20 years of expertise in gene editing, we are developing game-changer product candidates in immune-oncology. Utilizing TALEN®, our gene editing technology, and PulseAgile, our pioneering electroporation system, we are harnessing the power of the immune system to target and eradicate cancer cells.
As part of our commitment to a cure, Cellectis remains dedicated to its goal of providing life-saving UCART product candidates to address unmet need for multiple cancers including B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL), non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and multiple myeloma (MM). Cellectis is listed on the Nasdaq (ticker: CLLS) and on Euronext Growth (ticker: ALCLS).
Cellectis headquarters are in Paris, France, with additional locations in New York, New York and Raleigh, North Carolina. For more information, visit www.cellectis.com. Follow Cellectis on social media: @Cellectis, LinkedIn and YouTube.
SOURCE: Iovance Biotherapeutics
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Iovance Biotherapeutics Will Use TALEN® Technology from Cellectis to Develop Gene-Edited TIL
SAN CARLOS, CA and NEW YORK, NY, USA I January 12, 2020 I Iovance Biotherapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: IOVA), a late-stage biotechnology company developing novel T cell-based cancer immunotherapies, and Cellectis (Euronext Growth: ALCLS – NASDAQ: CLLS), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing immunotherapies based on gene-edited allogeneic CAR T-Cells (UCART), announced today that the companies have entered into a research collaboration and exclusive worldwide license agreement whereby Iovance will license certain TALEN® technology from Cellectis in order to develop tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) that have been genetically edited to create more potent cancer therapeutics.
The worldwide exclusive license enables Iovance Biotherapeutics’ use of TALEN® technology addressing multiple gene targets to modify TIL for therapeutic use in several cancer indications. Financial terms of the license include development, regulatory and sales milestone payments from Iovance Biotherapeutics to Cellectis, as well as royalty payments based on net sales of TALEN®-modified TIL products.
“We are very excited to be collaborating with Cellectis in applying the TALEN® gene-editing technology to Iovance’s TIL product. We believe that we can genetically modify TIL to make a more tumor-reactive anti-cancer product,” said Maria Fardis, Ph.D., MBA, President and Chief Executive Officer of Iovance Biotherapeutics. She added: “We plan to move a TALEN®-edited TIL therapy into a clinical trial as rapidly as possible.”
“We are thrilled to be working with Iovance and believe that applying our TALEN® technology to TIL-based products will yield even better treatments for a variety of cancers,” added André Choulika, Ph.D., Chairman and CEO, Cellectis. “Patients remain at the heart of our company and it is our sincere hope that this collaboration can help provide more efficacious options to those in need.”
About Iovance Biotherapeutics, Inc.
Iovance Biotherapeutics aims to improve patient care by making T cell-based immunotherapies broadly accessible for the treatment of patients with solid tumors and blood cancers. Tumor infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy uses a patient’s own immune cells to attack cancer. TIL cells are extracted from a patient’s own tumor tissue, expanded through a proprietary process, and infused back into the patient. After infusion, TIL reach tumor tissue, where they attack tumor cells. The company is currently conducting pivotal studies in patients with metastatic melanoma and advanced cervical cancer. In addition, the company’s TIL therapies are being investigated for the treatment of patients with locally advanced, recurrent or metastatic cancers including head and neck and non-small cell lung cancer. A clinical study to investigate Iovance’s T cell therapy for blood cancers called peripheral blood lymphocyte (PBL) therapy is being initiated. For more information, please visit www.iovance.com.
About Cellectis
Cellectis is developing the first of its kind allogeneic approach for CAR-T therapies, pioneering the concept of off-the-shelf and ready-to-use gene-edited CAR-T cells to treat patients. As a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company with over 20 years of expertise in gene editing, we are developing game-changer product candidates in immune-oncology. Utilizing TALEN®, our gene editing technology, and PulseAgile, our pioneering electroporation system, we are harnessing the power of the immune system to target and eradicate cancer cells.
As part of our commitment to a cure, Cellectis remains dedicated to its goal of providing life-saving UCART product candidates to address unmet need for multiple cancers including B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL), non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and multiple myeloma (MM). Cellectis is listed on the Nasdaq (ticker: CLLS) and on Euronext Growth (ticker: ALCLS).
Cellectis headquarters are in Paris, France, with additional locations in New York, New York and Raleigh, North Carolina. For more information, visit www.cellectis.com. Follow Cellectis on social media: @Cellectis, LinkedIn and YouTube.
SOURCE: Iovance Biotherapeutics
Post Views: 150
