Avacta Group has signed a collaboration and license agreement with AffyXell Therapeutics, the recently established joint venture with Daewoong Pharmaceutical, to develop Affimer proteins to be used by AffyXell for the generation of new cell and gene therapies.
 
Avacta and AffyXell will now work together to develop Affimer proteins against a range of targets which, when produced by mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), are intended to inhibit inflammatory and autoimmune pathways and improve the overall efficacy of MSCs, creating a next generation of stem cell therapies.
 
The initial focus for AffyXell will be on inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. In the longer term, there is potential for AffyXell to address oncology uses for these Affimer-enabled cell and gene therapies.
 
Under the terms of the collaboration and license agreement, Avacta’s research and development costs associated with generation of the Affimer proteins will be funded by AffyXell.  In addition, Avacta will retain the rights to commercialize the Affimer proteins outside of the field of cell therapies.
 
Dr. Alastair Smith, chief executive officer of Avacta Group, said, “The potential for AffyXell’s new class of cell therapies, which can be applied to a wide range of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, is enormous. We are therefore very excited by the opportunity to be part of this new venture and to demonstrate the power of Affimer proteins in the field of engineered cell therapies. Our objective is for these cell therapies to finally fully address diseases, such as inflammatory bowel diseases and multiple sclerosis, as well as other autoimmune diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The potential to make a difference in the quality of life for millions of patients continues to inspires us, as we know it does our colleagues at Daewoong as well.”
 
Seng-ho Jeon, chief executive officer of Daewoong Pharmaceutical, said, “We are very excited to contract this Collaboration and License Agreement followed by the successful establishment of an innovative joint venture, AffyXell. Daewoong and Avacta will make every effort to AffyXell’s growth and its development of distinguished and innovative cell and gene therapy treatment.”

The Affimer platform is an alternative to antibodies derived from a small human protein. Affimer technology has been designed to address many of the negative performance issues, principally: the time taken, and the reliance on an animal’s immune response, to generate new antibodies; poor specificity in many cases; large size and cost.  
 
Avacta’s pre|CISION targeted chemotherapy platform, releases active chemotherapy only in the tumor, thereby limiting systemic exposure and damage to healthy tissues, and thereby improving the overall safety and therapeutic potential of these powerful anti-cancer treatments.  
 
By combining these two platforms the company is building a wholly owned pipeline of novel cancer therapies with the aim of creating effective treatments for all cancer patients including those who do not respond to existing immunotherapies. Avacta expects to take its first drug, a pre|CISION targeted form of the standard-of-care Doxorubicin, into the clinic in the middle of 2020.