Kite Pharma, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing engineered autologous T cell therapy (eACT) products based on CAR and T cell receptor (TCR) gene therapy platforms for the treatment of cancer, has further strengthened its TCR product platform and established a European presence through the acquisition of T-Cell Factory B.V. (TCF), a privately held Dutch company, which has been renamed Kite Pharma EU.

Founded by preeminent scientists, including Professor Dr. Ton N. M. Schumacher, Ph.D., of the Netherlands Cancer Institute (NKI) and Professor Dr. Dirk H. Busch, M.D., of the Technische Universitat Munchen (TUM), TCF has the ability to discover and develop tumor-specific TCRs for broad application in cancer treatment based on its proprietary TCR-GENErator platform.

Professor Schumacher will assume the role of chief scientific officer of Kite Pharma EU, and maintain his position as deputy director of the NKI. Through this acquisition, Kite Pharma has obtained license agreements with IBA GmbH, Sanquin Blood Supply Foundation, and the NKI that include rights to certain new intellectual property in the TCR space developed by Professor Schumacher at the NKI. In addition, the acquisition provides access to European clinical manufacturing facilities, launching a base for Kite to build its global presence and initiate clinical programs in the EU.

The acquisition of TCF follows the announcement earlier this month of Kite’s expanded cooperative research and development agreement with the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to develop new TCR candidates, including against tumor neo-antigens, truly tumor-specific antigens generated as tumors accumulate genetic mutations. TCRs broaden the approach to cancer treatment by allowing targeting of tumor antigens found inside cancer cells, as well as surface antigens.

“The acquisition of TCF and its novel discovery and development platform provides Kite with a strong position in TCR gene therapy for cancer. In addition, with our strategic plans for expanding clinical operations to ex-US sites, Kite’s relationship with NKI, an internationally renowned research and clinical institution, provides an important operational platform and potential access to investigators, clinical sites and manufacturing facilities in Amsterdam,” said Arie Belldegrun, M.D., FACS, Kite’s president and chief executive officer. “Kite plans to leverage its access to intellectual property, know-how, and a network of collaborators across the continent to build a robust pipeline of TCR gene therapies.”