Gilead Sciences and Arcus Biosciences Announce $375 Million Strategic Collaboration to Advance Next-Generation PD-1 and TIGIT Inhibitors in Oncology

Today, Gilead Sciences and Arcus Biosciences jointly announced that they have entered into a 10-year partnership to co-develop and commercialize candidate drugs from Arcus’s pipeline, including innovative PD-1 inhibitors and inhibitors of the immune checkpoint protein TIGIT.

Arcus Biosciences is building a broad and diverse product pipeline aimed at developing candidate drugs that target key cell-intrinsic pathways involved in cancer growth and metastasis, addressing critical mechanisms by which tumors evade the immune system. The company is advancing antibody products targeting immune checkpoint receptors, including PD-1 and TIGIT. Currently, its pipeline comprises four clinical-stage immuno-oncology programs and six preclinical oncology discovery programs. A core component of Arcus’s R&D strategy is the development of combinations incorporating both small-molecule and antibody candidates. Arcus is currently conducting 10 clinical trials, including a Phase 2 study evaluating a three-drug combination regimen as first-line treatment for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The three investigational agents in this combination are: AB154, an anti-TIGIT monoclonal antibody; AB928, an A2aR/A2bR antagonist; and zimberelimab (AB122), an anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody.

Under the terms of the agreement, Arcus Biosciences will receive $375 million in payments, including a $175 million upfront payment and a $200 million equity investment. Arcus Biosciences will also be eligible to receive up to $1.225 billion in potential milestone payments for its current clinical candidates. Gilead Sciences will gain access to Arcus’s current and future immuno-oncology products through this agreement, which includes options for zimberelimab, AB154, AB928, and AB680.

▲Arcus Biosciences’ R&D Pipeline (Image source: Arcus official website)

“We are very pleased to enter into this important new strategic collaboration with Arcus, as Gilead Sciences continues to build on its momentum in immuno-oncology research and development,” said Daniel O’Day, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Gilead Sciences. “Gilead Sciences is committed to pursuing global innovation opportunities in immuno-oncology, and our collaboration with Arcus further demonstrates this commitment. By leveraging Arcus’s broad and diverse pipeline, along with its significant strengths in discovery and development, we believe this partnership will significantly accelerate our progress in developing transformative new therapies for cancer.”

References:

[1] Gilead Sciences and Arcus Biosciences Establish 10-year Partnership to Co-develop and Co-commercialize Next-generation Cancer Immunotherapies. Retrieved 2020-05-27, from https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200527005478/en

▽Follow [WuXi AppTecDe】WeChat Official Account