01.05.15
Amgen and Kite Pharma have entered into a strategic research collaboration and license agreement to develop and commercialize the next generation of novel Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T cell immunotherapies based on Kite's engineered autologous cell therapy (eACT) platform and Amgen's cancer targets.
Amgen will contribute cancer targets and Kite will use its CAR platform, R&D and manufacturing capabilities to conduct preclinical research, cell manufacturing and processing through Investigational New Drug (IND) filing. Each company will then be responsible for clinical development and commercialization of their respective CAR therapeutic candidates.
Kite will receive an upfront payment of $60 million, R&D funding, and is eligible to receive as much as $525 million in milestones per Amgen program, as well as royalties on sales and the license of Kite's intellectual property for CAR T cell products. Amgen is eligible to receive as much as $525 million in milestones per Kite program, plus royalties. Further terms were not disclosed.
"The intersection of immunology and oncology represents one of the most promising approaches to delivering significant impact for patients with cancer," said Sean E. Harper, M.D., executive vice president of R&D at Amgen. "With our existing immuno-oncology portfolio of cutting-edge technologies and expertise, we believe joining forces with Kite Pharma will leverage our targets and their leading CAR T cell platform to advance another new promising therapeutic approach to fight cancer."
"Amgen is an ideal partner for us, based on their strong presence in oncology and the company's broad array of cancer targets optimally suited for combining with our CAR technologies. We are proud to announce this unique collaboration and its validation of our R&D expertise, intellectual property position, and therapeutic manufacturing and processing capabilities," said Arie Belldegrun, M.D., FACS, Kite Pharma's president and chief executive officer.
Amgen will contribute cancer targets and Kite will use its CAR platform, R&D and manufacturing capabilities to conduct preclinical research, cell manufacturing and processing through Investigational New Drug (IND) filing. Each company will then be responsible for clinical development and commercialization of their respective CAR therapeutic candidates.
Kite will receive an upfront payment of $60 million, R&D funding, and is eligible to receive as much as $525 million in milestones per Amgen program, as well as royalties on sales and the license of Kite's intellectual property for CAR T cell products. Amgen is eligible to receive as much as $525 million in milestones per Kite program, plus royalties. Further terms were not disclosed.
"The intersection of immunology and oncology represents one of the most promising approaches to delivering significant impact for patients with cancer," said Sean E. Harper, M.D., executive vice president of R&D at Amgen. "With our existing immuno-oncology portfolio of cutting-edge technologies and expertise, we believe joining forces with Kite Pharma will leverage our targets and their leading CAR T cell platform to advance another new promising therapeutic approach to fight cancer."
"Amgen is an ideal partner for us, based on their strong presence in oncology and the company's broad array of cancer targets optimally suited for combining with our CAR technologies. We are proud to announce this unique collaboration and its validation of our R&D expertise, intellectual property position, and therapeutic manufacturing and processing capabilities," said Arie Belldegrun, M.D., FACS, Kite Pharma's president and chief executive officer.