Atara Biotherapeutics Announces the Completion of the Acquisition of Its Cell Therapy Manufacturing Facility & Commencement of Long-Term Strategic Partnership with Fujifilm
April 04 2022 - 4:01PM
Business Wire
Atara Biotherapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATRA), a leader in T-cell
immunotherapy, leveraging its novel allogeneic EBV T-cell platform
to develop transformative therapies for patients with cancer and
autoimmune diseases, today announced FUJIFILM Diosynth
Biotechnologies, a subsidiary of FUJIFILM Corporation (Fujifilm),
has completed the acquisition of Atara’s cell therapy manufacturing
facility in Thousand Oaks, California for USD 100 million upfront
and the commencement of a long-term strategic supply agreement.
This partnership and acquisition was first announced in January
2022.
With the closing of the transaction, FUJIFILM Diosynth
Biotechnologies will provide Atara with access to the flexible
capacity and specific capability needed to manufacture clinical and
commercial-stage allogeneic cell therapies for its maturing and
promising pipeline, including tabelecleucel (tab-cel®), ATA188 for
multiple sclerosis, and allogeneic CAR T therapies, ATA3271 and
ATA3219.
FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies will also expand use of the
Thousand Oaks site to manufacture a broader portfolio of cell
therapies by leveraging the experience and expertise of the
manufacturing and quality staff who transitioned to FUJIFILM
Diosynth Biotechnologies.
Atara has retained a talented Technical Operations team who will
continue to manage external manufacturing partnerships,
manufacturing process science & development, quality assurance,
supply chain, and logistics. Atara’s Thousand Oaks-based Atara
Research Center (ARC) now houses Atara’s Pre-Clinical,
Translational Sciences, Manufacturing Process Sciences, and
Analytical Development teams to further drive innovation by
leveraging the Company’s unique and differentiated allogeneic cell
therapy platform.
The agreement is expected to reduce Atara’s planned operating
expenses over the multiyear partnership period. The upfront
consideration, along with the reduction in operating expenses, in
addition to Atara’s existing cash, cash equivalents and short-term
investments is expected to fund Atara’s planned operations into Q4
2023, beyond the anticipated completion of the randomized,
placebo-controlled Phase 2 study of ATA188, the Company’s
investigational off-the-shelf T-cell candidate that has the
potential to reverse disability in progressive multiple
sclerosis.
About Atara Biotherapeutics, Inc.
Atara Biotherapeutics, Inc. (@Atarabio) is a pioneer in T-cell
immunotherapy leveraging its novel allogeneic EBV T-cell platform
to develop transformative therapies for patients with serious
diseases including solid tumors, hematologic cancers and autoimmune
disease. With our lead program in Phase 3 clinical development and
currently under review to support registration in Europe, Atara is
the most advanced allogeneic T-cell immunotherapy company and
intends to rapidly deliver off-the-shelf treatments to patients
with high unmet medical need. Our platform leverages the unique
biology of EBV T cells and has the capability to treat a wide range
of EBV-associated diseases, or other serious diseases through
incorporation of engineered CARs (chimeric antigen receptors) or
TCRs (T-cell receptors). Atara is applying this one platform, which
does not require TCR or HLA gene editing, to create a robust
pipeline including: tab-cel in Phase 3 development for Epstein-Barr
virus-driven post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease (EBV+
PTLD) and other EBV-driven diseases; ATA188, a T-cell immunotherapy
targeting EBV antigens as a potential treatment for multiple
sclerosis; and multiple next-generation chimeric antigen receptor
T-cell (CAR-T) immunotherapies for both solid tumors and
hematologic malignancies. Improving patients’ lives is our mission
and we will never stop working to bring transformative therapies to
those in need. Atara is headquartered in South San Francisco and
our leading-edge research, development and manufacturing facility
is based in Thousand Oaks, California. For additional information
about the company, please visit atarabio.com and follow us on
Twitter and LinkedIn.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains or may imply “forward-looking
statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act
of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. For
example, forward-looking statements include statements regarding:
the development, timing, progress and prospects of Atara’s product
candidates and regulatory filings, Atara’s sale of its
manufacturing facility to FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies (FDB),
the potential benefits of such transaction to Atara, including the
potential financial benefits to Atara, the supply agreement between
the parties and the duration and benefits thereof, FDB’s ability to
perform under the supply agreement and meet Atara’s requirements,
FDB’s plans for the manufacturing facility, including the expansion
thereof, Atara’s ability to drive innovation, Atara’s ability to
retain its staff and capabilities, and the sufficiency of Atara’s
cash, cash equivalents, short-term investments to fund its planned
operations. Because such statements deal with future events and are
based on Atara’s current expectations, they are subject to various
risks and uncertainties and actual results, performance or
achievements of Atara could differ materially from those described
in or implied by the statements in this press release. These
forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties,
including, without limitation, risks and uncertainties associated
with the costly and time-consuming pharmaceutical product
development process and the uncertainty of clinical success; the
COVID-19 pandemic, which may significantly impact (i) our business,
research, clinical development plans and operations, including our
operations in South San Francisco and Southern California and at
our clinical trial sites, as well as the business or operations of
our third-party manufacturer, contract research organizations or
other third parties with whom we conduct business, (ii) our ability
to access capital, and (iii) the value of our common stock; the
sufficiency of Atara’s cash resources and need for additional
capital; and other risks and uncertainties affecting Atara’s and
its development programs, including those discussed in Atara’s
filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC),
including in the “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and
Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” sections
of the Company’s most recently filed periodic reports on Form 10-K
and Form 10-Q and subsequent filings and in the documents
incorporated by reference therein. Except as otherwise required by
law, Atara disclaims any intention or obligation to update or
revise any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the
date hereof, whether as a result of new information, future events
or circumstances or otherwise.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220401005459/en/
INVESTORS & MEDIA: Investors Eric Hyllengren
805-395-9669 ehyllengren@atarabio.com Media Alex Chapman
805-456-4772 achapman@atarabio.com
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