Genentech Terminates $3 Billion TCR-T Cell Therapy Collaboration with Adaptimmune Amid Strategic Restructuring

Apr 15, 2024 17:10 CST Updated 17:10

Adaptimmune

T Cell Therapy Developer

GSK

Pharmaceutical R&D Manufacturer

Last week, just as Genentech confirmed a 3% layoff, it announcedTerminated the cell therapy collaboration with Adaptimmune Therapeutics plc worth up to $3 billion。

According to the document from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the termination of the transaction will take effect within 180 days after receiving the notice of the decision.

In September 2021, Genentech reached a deal with Adaptimmune Therapeutics plc,Collaborative Development of Allogeneic Cell Therapy. The two companies initially planned to develop therapies targeting up to five cancer targets, whileBuild a Personalized Allogeneic Cell Therapy Platform。

However, halfway through the anticipated five-year collaboration, the two parties parted ways.

Roche Abandons Allogeneic Cell Therapy?

Adaptimmune TherapeuticsIs a cell therapy company dedicated to redefining cancer treatment methods., with a particular focus on solid tumor treatment. The company's unique engineered T-cell receptor (TCR) platform enables T-cell engineering to target and destroy various types of solid tumors.

In March 2023, Adaptimmune and TCR² Therapeutics jointly announced that the two companies would merge into a new entity, which would trade under Adaptimmune’s Nasdaq stock code and be led by Adaptimmune's CEO, Adrian Rawcliffe.Further consolidatedAdaptimmune Therapeutics plcThe Status of TCR-T Cell Therapy Field.

When the deal was reached in 2021Genentech paid $150 million in cash as an upfront payment. Afterwards, Adaptimmune received a $35 million milestone payment. However, the upcoming $150 million over the next five years, along with over $3 billion in milestones and royaltiesGenentechWill no longer be paid.

This is notAdaptimmune Faces First "Return" from a TOP Pharma Company.In October 2022, GSK announced the abandonment of the NY-ESO TCR project co-developed with Adaptimmune, a collaboration that began in 2017.

Adaptimmune CEO Adrian RawcliffeStated: "We have conducted very valuable cooperation with our partner Genentech, and we still believe in the long-term potential of the allogeneic platform based on iPSC. In the past 12 months, we have been firmly focused on our late-stage autologous pipeline, especially the sarcoma franchise. We have sufficient resources to proceed as planned.Launch TCR-T Therapy Afami-cel into the Market"I look forward to presenting the latest developments at next week's Investor Day."

Afami-cel is a TCR-T cell therapy targeting MAGE-A4, single dose.Treatment of Advanced Synovial Sarcoma。The PDUFA date is August 4 this year. In January, Adaptimmune announced that the FDA had accepted the Biologics License Application (BLA) for its afami-cel and granted it priority review.

AdaptimmuneIs a global pioneer in TCR-T cell therapy，Allogeneic Cell TherapyAndConquer Solid TumorsIt is the companyThe main direction, and also the biggest reason why major TOP pharmaceutical companies chose to cooperate with them previously.

However, Roche seems not to have abandoned the projects of allogeneic cell therapy and cell therapy for conquering solid tumors.

Currently, it is still advancing some allogeneic CAR-T cell therapy and cell therapy solid tumor projects, including:

In August 2022, Roche paid $110 million upfront for rights to Poseida TherapeuticsExclusive development rights or commercialization options for certain allogeneic CAR-T therapies, including one drug that has entered the early testing phase for multiple myeloma and another that has moved into Phase I trials to evaluate its potential in treating certain refractory blood cancers.
In September 2022, Roche, through its subsidiary Genentech,ArsenalBioA partnership has been established,To explore the therapeutic applications of CAR-T in solid tumors. This deal gave Arsenal Bio $70 million upfront and promised additional payments if specific research, regulatory, and commercial goals are met. In exchange, Genentech gained access to Arsenal’s high-throughput screening and T-cell engineering technologies, which both companies believe can be used to develop “next-generation” cell therapies for cancer treatment.

Eight Major Factors Affecting the Future of Cell and Gene Therapy

Cell and gene therapy is a very cutting-edge treatment technology, and precisely because it is cutting-edge, there are currently certain limitations in terms of market entry and commercialization. Last week, in addition to Roche, Sanofi also announced that it would close NK cell therapy company Kiadis Pharma (Kiadis), which it had acquired for $357 million.

However, cell and gene therapy is definitely one of the major trends in the future pharmaceutical field.

Recently, IQVIA released a research report analyzing the current status and future development trends of cell and gene therapies. The report shows that in recent years, investment, clinical research, and new product launches in the cell and gene therapy field have all reached new highs.At the same time, it points out the eight major factors affecting the future development of this field.

IQVIA's report points out,Compared with 10 years ago, the number of deals in the cell and gene therapy field has increased by 48%., accounting for an increasing proportion of all life science transactions, exceeding 10% in 2023, compared to only 5% in 2014. These figures demonstrate the industry's confidence and interest in the treatment models of cell and gene therapies.

As of the end of 2023, a total of 76 cell and gene therapies have been approved for marketing worldwide., more than doubling the total number in 2013. In the past three years, 20 cell and gene therapies have been approved for marketing.

The report pointed out that cell and gene therapies have made significant progress in the past decade, howeverThis industry is still in an immature stage compared to the fields of small-molecule drugs and antibodies., there are still many uncertainties in future development.

The future development of the cell and gene therapy industry depends onProduct development activities, regulatory approvals, patient accessibility, and the longevity of therapiesEfficacy and SafetyProgress in eight indicators including...

cr：

1、Genentech axes Adaptimmune cell therapy deal as it presses ahead with staff cuts

2、IQVIA：《Strengthening Pathways for Cell and Gene Therapies: Current State and Future Scenarios》

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