Selexis SA and Turgut Pharmaceuticals have signed two commercial license agreements (CLAs) through which Turgut will leverage Selexis’ SUREtechnology Platform and SURE CHO-M Cell Line for the development of two biosimilar antibodies: a checkpoint inhibitor for the treatment of certain cancers and a monoclonal antibody for the treatment of metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer. With the addition of these CLAs, the companies are now working together to develop multiple biosimilar products in cancer and inflammatory diseases. The companies announced the signing of the most recent previous CLAs in December 2017.
 
“In just under three years, we’ve signed five commercial license agreements collaborating with the Turgut team to advance its pipeline of high-quality biosimilars. Our technology and cell line has proven impactful in biosimilar development, which is incredibly important given the tremendous need to provide patients with greater access to life-changing biologics,” said Marco Bocci, vice president, licensing and business development, Selexis.
 
Serdar Alpan, head of biotechnology group, Turgut Pharmaceuticals, said, “These two products are groundbreaking treatments that can extend accessibility to a much larger patient population. As a cell line development expert and well-established partner of Turgut’s, Selexis’ tools and technologies are giving us the competitive edge we need to forge ahead with our biosimilar programs. We look forward to achieving progress in these programs.”