Table 2.
Nature of the relationship between companies and research institutions in the development of cancer immunotherapies.
| Company sponsora | Collaborators | Collaborative research relationshipa | Technology licensing/service agreementsa |
|---|---|---|---|
| Argos Therapeutics | Rockefeller University and Duke University | Cofounders of company were researchers the two universities who discovered role of dendritic cells in the immune system and developed a method to generate dendritic cells (Rockefeller) and developed a unique RNA-based dendritic cell technology (Duke) | |
| Asterias Biotherapeutics | Cancer Research UK; Cell Therapy Catapult | 2015: The collaboration with the Cell Therapy Catapult will trigger the initiation of an Asterias subsidiary in the UK to more effectively collaborate with Cancer Research UK and the Cell Therapy Catapulta | 2014: Service agreement between Cancer Research Technology and Asterias for product manufacturing of cancer biotherapeutics 2015: Service contract to develop scaled production procedures with Cell Therapy Catapult. The program will utilize the know-how and resources assembled at the Cell Therapy Catapult along with expertise in pluripotent stem cells at Asterias to industrialize production of pluripotent stem cell-based therapeuticsa |
| Atara Biotherapeutics | Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK); Amgen; Celgene | 2014: Parties agreed to collaborate on further research to develop additional cellular therapies, including against other antigens or CAR-T cells | 2014: Worldwide exclusive option agreement from MSK for the development and commercialization of T-cells activated against: EBV, CMV, and WT1 in exchange for cash and Atara common. If Atara exercises its option, MSK will receive an upfront license payment and be eligible to receive additional payments based on achievement of development, regulatory and sales-related milestones, as well as royalty payments 2015: Atara exercised its exclusive option for the three programs to expand its pipeline after EBV target received Food and Drug Administration breakthrough-therapy designation |
| Adaptimmune Therapeutics | MD Anderson Cancer Center | 2016: Announced a multiyear strategic alliance to expedite the development of novel adoptive T-cell therapies for multiple types of cancer, targeting | 2016: The alliance pairs preclinical and clinical teams from the MD Anderson with Adaptimmune Therapeutics’ Specific Peptide Enhanced Affinity Receptor (SPEAR®) T-cell technology platform that enables the identification of targets (e.g., MAGE-A10 and MAGE-A4) expressed on solid and hematological cancers and to develop affinity-enhanced TCRs with optimal potency and specificity against them |
| Cellectis | MD Anderson Cancer Center | 2015: Cellectis and MD Anderson have entered into a research and development alliance that aims to develop novel allogeneic cellular immunotherapies | 2015: The Alliance aims to build on MD Anderson’s preclinical and clinical expertise in leukemia and myeloma coupled with Cellectis’ first-in-class allogeneic CAR T-cell therapeutic approach and manufacturing capabilities |
| Cell Medica | Baylor College of Medicine (Dr. Leonid Metelitsa) | 2016: Codevelopment partnership with Baylor College of Medicine (Baylor) to develop next-generation technologies (CAR, NKT, and TCR) for engineering immune cells with enhanced functions for the treatment of solid tumors. Within the codevelopment structure, Baylor will conduct the preclinical and Phase I clinical research under the guidance of the Joint Steering Committee. Cell Medica will work in parallel to support early product development and will use its substantial experience in manufacturing clinical-grade cell therapies to establish robust production processes suitable for industrial scale-up | 2016: License and Option Agreement for two platform patents related to engineered NKT cells, three target cancer antigens for CAR-modified NKT cells, and a TCR technology. Cell Medica has paid an upfront fee for the exclusive licensing arrangements and will make additional payments to exercise its exclusive option to license future products |
| Cell Medica | University College London (Profs. Hans Stauss and Emma Morris) | 2016: Research collaboration to utilize UCL’s novel TCR technology to generate TCR products for cancer treatment. UCL will conduct the preclinical and early clinical research under the guidance of a Joint Steering Committee. As part of this agreement, both parties can bring targets or platform technologies to the collaboration, aiming to generate leading edge modified TCR products. Cell Medica will support product development with expertise in manufacturing clinical-grade cell therapies and establishing robust production processes suitable for industrial scale-up | 2016: Exclusive license and option agreement with UCL Business for TCR platform patent and two target antigens. Cell Medica has paid an upfront fee and will make additional payments to exercise its exclusive option to license future products. UCL is eligible to receive further payments related to clinical, regulatory and sales milestones, as well as single digit royalties |
| ImmunoCellular Therapeutics | Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles | 2015: Company was founded following the acquisition of cellular-based technology from Cedar Sinai ImmunoCellular Therapeutics that was established in 2006 with cellular-based technology licensed from the Cedar-Sinai Medical Center. Technology included dendritic cell-based vaccines for brain tumors and other cancers and neurodegenerative disorders. In 2012, the company also exclusively licensed related technologies for specific cancers from the University of Pennsylvania | |
| Juno Therapeutics | St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital | 2013: Exclusive license for IP related to JCAR014 and JCAR017, genetically engineered autologous T lymphocytes for cancer. Royalty payments based on clinical and development milestonesa | |
| Juno Therapeutics | Seattle Children’s Research Institute | 2013: Exclusive license for IP related to the development and commercialization of lead cancer immunotherapy CAR-T products: JCAR014 and JCAR017a | |
| Juno Therapeutics | Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center | 2013: Exclusive license for IP related to JCAR014 and JCAR017, genetically engineered autologous T lymphocytes for cancera | |
| Kite Pharma | National Cancer Institute (Dr. Steven A. Rosenberg) | 2012: CRADA for the development and commercialization of novel engineered peripheral blood autologous T cell therapeutics for the treatment of multiple cancer indications 2015: Amended CRADA for expanded tumor neo-antigens and CAR-T products for solid tumorsa |
|
| Kite Pharma | National Cancer Institute (Dr. James N. Kochenderfer) | 2012: CRADA for engineered peripheral blood autologous T cell therapeutics (eACT) for hematological and solid cancersa 2013/5: Research collaboration for engineered peripheral blood autologous T cell therapeutics (eACT) for hematological and solid cancersa 2012/5: Research collaboration for engineered peripheral blood autologous T cell therapeutics (eACT) for hematological and solid cancersa 2016: CRADA for fully human anti-CD19 CAR product for B-cell lymphomas and leukemias |
2012/3 and 2012/5: Options for exclusive license for engineered peripheral blood autologous T cell therapeutics (eACT) for hematological and solid cancersa 2014: Exclusive license for IP related to TCR-based products against HPV-16 E6 and E7 oncoproteins for cancers associated with HPV infection |
| Kite Pharma | National Cancer Institute | 2014: CRADA for research and clinical development of TCR product candidates directed against HPV-16 E6 and E7 oncoproteinsa | 2014: Exclusive license for IP related to TCR-based products against HPV-16 E6 and E7 oncoproteins for cancers associated with HPV infection |
| Kite Pharma | University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) | Exclusive, worldwide license agreement for technology to advance the development of off-the-shelf allogeneic T-cell therapies from renewable pluripotent stem cells | |
| Kite Pharma | Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Centre (Prof. Zelig Eshhar: 2013 appointed to Scientific Advisory Board Kite Pharma) | 2015: Research agreement for collaboration on peripheral autologous T-cell therapeutics on CAR or TCR platforms | |
| Kite Pharma | Leiden University Medical Centre (LUMC) | 2016: Research agreement to identify and develop TCR product candidates targeting solid tumors associated with the HPV type 16 infection | Option to license multiple TCR gene sequences for the development and commercialization of product candidates |
| Genesis Biopharma (GB) founded in 2007 with SAB member Rosenberg merged with Lion Biotechnologies in 2013a (Dr. Steven A. Rosenberg) | National Cancer Institute | 2011: CRADA with GB to develop TILs designed to destroy metastatic melanoma cells using a patient’s tumor infiltrating lymphocytesa 2015: LB amended CRADA to include 4 new tumor indications for TIL therapya 2016: extended CRADA for another 5-year term to 2021. Includes development of TIL therapy for treatment of metastatic melanoma, bladder, lung, breast, and HPV-associated cancersa |
|
| Northwest Biotherapeutics (NW Bio) | Kings College, London Cognate BioServices Inc. is NW Bio’s contract manufacturer for DCVax® |
2001: Manufacturing and clinical trials partnership whereby trials for DCVAx for GBM conducted at King’s College Hospital with expanded access program, and Cognate BioServices, Inc. provides technology transfer and training in proprietary DCVax production processes, adding manufacturing capacity and flexibility without need for further investment by NW Bio | |
| NW Bio | Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology | In addition to same terms as above. The partnership makes NW Bio eligible for certain grants through the German government, which, if approved, could amount to as much as 2–3 million Euro | |
| TVAX Biomedical | National Cancer Institute; University of Kansas Medical Center | Start-up company from the University of Kansas Medical Center formed to commercialize TVAX immunotherapy for personalized cancer treatment | |
| Novartis Pharmaceuticals (Switzerland) | National Cancer Institute, University of Pennsylvania | 2012: 5-year global collaboration to research, develop and commercialize targeted CAR immunotherapies for cancer treatment and to build a first-of-its-kind Center for Advanced Cellular Therapies on the Penn campus in Philadelphia at a cost of $20 Mill USD | 2012: Penn grants Novartis an exclusive worldwide license to the technologies used in an ongoing trial of patients with CLL with CTL019 as well as future CAR-based therapies developed through the collaborations. Milestone and royalty payments to Penn |
| Bellicum Pharmaceuticals | LUMC | 2015: Research agreement under which Bellicum will provide LUMC with funding for research to discover and validate high-affinity TCR product candidates targeting several cancer-associated antigens. Bellicum receives option to obtain an exclusive, worldwide license to practice and exploit the inventions | |
| Bluebirdbio and Celgene | Center for Cell and Gene Therapy at Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children’s Hospital and The Methodist Hospital, Houston (Dr. Malcolm Brenner) | 2013: bluebirdbio, Celgene, and Dr. Brenner will work collaboratively to advance and develop existing and new products and programs in the CAR T-cell field. Financial terms include upfront payment and up to $225 Mill USD per product in potential option fees and clinical and regulatory milestones | bluebird bio has the right to participate in the development and commercialization of any licensed products resulting from the collaboration through a 50/50 codevelopment and profit share in the US in exchange for a reduction of milestones |
CAR, chimeric antigen receptor; CLL, chronic lymphocytic leukemia; CRADA, Collaborative Research and Development Agreement; DC, dendritic cell; EBV, Epstein–Barr virus; GBM, glioblastoma multiforme (brain cancer); HPV, human papillomavirus; IP, intellectual property; NKT, natural killer T cells; TCR, T cell receptor; TIL, tumor infiltrating lymphocyte; WT1, Wilms tumor 1.
aContract(s) available for review from Recap database.