Novartis and TScan Therapeutics Announce Collaboration to Develop Innovative T Cell Receptor-Based Therapies

On the 16th, TScan Therapeutics announced a collaboration agreement with Novartis to discover and develop novel T-cell receptor (TCR) cell therapies.

T cells present in patients’ tumors possess the potential to detect and eliminate tumor cells. Although these T cells are functionally impaired, their T-cell receptors (TCRs) remain capable of recognizing antigens on cancer cells. By transferring these TCRs to non-impaired T cells from the patient’s blood, it is possible to redirect these T cells to recognize and kill cancer cells. TScan Therapeutics’ drug discovery platform is designed to identify TCRs that recognize shared tumor antigens in patients and to discover the natural targets of these TCRs. By processing TCRs from tens of thousands of patients in this manner, TScan Therapeutics is progressively building a library of therapeutically active TCRs with novel targets, which can ultimately be used to treat various types of tumors.

Under the collaboration agreement, the parties will leverage TScan’s proprietary platform to develop novel TCR cell therapies, with Novartis securing rights to develop TCR cell therapies targeting up to three new targets. Furthermore, Novartis will retain options for additional targets and TCRs arising from the collaboration. The deal includes an upfront payment and research funding totaling $30 million, along with potential milestone payments based on clinical, regulatory, and sales achievements, which could amount to hundreds of millions of dollars.

References:

[1] TScan Announces Collaboration with Novartis on the Discovery and Development of Novel T Cell Receptor Therapies for the Treatment of Solid Tumors. Retrieved 2020-04-15, from https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200415005140/en

(Note: The original text has been abridged.)

Original Title: Flash | Novartis Reaches Hundreds of Millions in Collaboration to Develop Innovative T-cell Therapies

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