AbbVie and Calibr entered a collaboration to develop T-cell therapies aimed primarily at cancer, including solid tumors, leveraging advanced precision medicine technology.
 
Under the license agreement, AbbVie will pay Calibr an upfront license fee and gain exclusive access to Calibr’s switchable CAR-T platform for up to four years. The companies will work together to develop T-cell therapies directed to solid tumor targets identified by AbbVie. AbbVie also has the option to develop additional cell therapies toward AbbVie-nominated targets and license existing Calibr cell therapy programs under development for hematological and solid cancers, including Calibr’s lead program.
 
Calibr plans to enter this lead candidate into clinical studies for lymphoma in 2019. In addition, the agreement provides AbbVie with an option to acquire an exclusive license to Calibr’s switchable CAR-T platform and programs within the first four years of the collaboration. The companies will share responsibility for preclinical development, and AbbVie is responsible for clinical development and commercialization. Calibr is eligible to receive success-based milestone payments and royalties.
 
Calibr’s cell therapy program is designed to enhance safety, versatility and efficacy through a proprietary modular “switchable” CAR-T cell that uses antibody-based switch molecules to control the activation and antigen specificity of CAR-T cells. Calibr’s technology may enable the development of universal CAR-T-based treatments across several types of hematological and solid tumor indications.
 
“Calibr has assembled a premier scientific team and developed an innovative cell therapy technology that can take us to the next frontier of cancer treatment,” said Mohit Trikha, Ph.D., vice president and head of Oncology Early Development at AbbVie. “The combination of AbbVie’s oncology discovery and early development expertise and Calibr’s novel switchable CAR-T therapy platform aims to advance the current standard of care, with the potential rapidly advancing new treatment options for patients.”
 
“We’re delighted to work together with a strong partner like AbbVie to expand the impact of the CAR-T cell field to a broader range of cancers,” said Peter Schultz, Ph.D., chief executive officer of Calibr and Scripps Research.