FORM
6-K
SECURITIES AND
EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C.
20549
Report
of Foreign Issuer
Pursuant to Rule
13a-16 or 15d-16 of
the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934
For the
month of November 2022
Commission File
Number: 001-11960
AstraZeneca
PLC
1
Francis Crick Avenue
Cambridge
Biomedical Campus
Cambridge CB2
0AA
United
Kingdom
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AstraZeneca
PLC
INDEX
TO EXHIBITS
1.
AstraZeneca to acquire Neogene Therapeutics
29
November 2022 7:00 GMT
AstraZeneca to acquire Neogene Therapeutics,
accelerating ambition in Oncology cell therapy
Acquisition provides access to next-generation T-cell
receptor
therapies with promising potential for targeting solid
tumours
AstraZeneca
today announced an agreement to acquire Neogene Therapeutics Inc.
(Neogene), a global clinical-stage biotechnology company pioneering
the discovery, development and manufacturing of next-generation
T-cell receptor therapies (TCR-Ts) that offer a novel cell therapy
approach for targeting cancer.
With
a shared goal of bringing cell therapies to patients with solid
tumours, Neogene's expertise in TCR-T discovery, development and
manufacturing will strengthen AstraZeneca's ambition to transform
outcomes for patients.
TCR-Ts are
emerging as a promising therapeutic modality in cancer
treatment. Most current cell therapy approaches in oncology
focus on modifying the immune system's T cells to recognise
proteins expressed on the surface of cancer cells. In contrast,
TCR-Ts can recognise intracellular targets, including
cancer-specific mutations, thereby potentially unlocking targets
previously inaccessible using cell therapies.
Susan
Galbraith, Executive Vice President, Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca,
said: "This acquisition represents a unique opportunity to
bring innovative science and leading experts in T-cell receptor
biology and cell therapy manufacturing together with our internal
oncology cell therapy team, unlocking new ways to target
cancer. Neogene's leading TCR discovery capabilities and
extensive manufacturing experience complement the cell therapy
capability we have built over the last three years and allow us to
accelerate the development of potentially curative cell therapies
for the benefit of patients."
Carsten
Linnemann, PhD, Chief Executive Officer, Neogene, said: "We are
excited to work together with AstraZeneca towards our shared
mission of transforming the treatment options for patients with
solid tumours using next-generation T-cell receptor therapies. Our
expertise, clinical portfolio and platform technologies in this
area combined with AstraZeneca's leadership in oncology and global
footprint mean we are well-positioned to translate pioneering
science into novel treatments for hard-to-treat
cancers."
Neogene
will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of AstraZeneca, with
operations in Amsterdam, the Netherlands and California,
US.
Financial considerations
AstraZeneca
will acquire all outstanding equity of Neogene for a total
consideration of up to $320m, on a cash and debt free basis. This
will include an initial payment of $200m on deal closing, and a
further up to $120m in both contingent milestones-based and
non-contingent consideration.
The
transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2023,
subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory clearances.
The transaction does not impact AstraZeneca's financial guidance
for 2022.
Notes
Neogene
Therapeutics
Neogene
Therapeutics, Inc. is a global biotechnology company focused on
discovering, developing and manufacturing next-generation,
transformative TCR therapies targeting neoantigens in solid
cancers. Neogene is advancing a pipeline of fully individualized
TCR therapies as well as TCR therapies targeting shared
neoantigens, including mutated KRAS (mKRAS) and mutated TP53
(mTP53).
Neogene
was founded by Carsten Linnemann, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of
Neogene, and Ton Schumacher, PhD, Principal Investigator at the
Netherlands Cancer Institute, Oncode Institute in partnership
with Two River, and cell therapy industry veteran Arie Belldegrun,
MD, founder of Kite Pharma, Inc. and Co-Founder and Executive
Chairman of Allogene Therapeutics, Inc. as well as key investments
from Vida Ventures, TPG, EcoR1 Capital, Jeito Capital, Syncona,
Polaris Partners and Pontifax.
Neogene has EU headquarters in Amsterdam and US
headquarters in Santa Monica. Its team has deep gene and cell
therapy expertise and a shared mission to bring next-generation
transformative TCR therapies to patients with solid cancers
worldwide. Please visit www.neogene.com and
follow Neogene on LinkedIn.
AstraZeneca in oncology cell therapy
AstraZeneca is building a cell
therapy portfolio that aims to empower and equip the immune
system's T cells to more effectively fight cancer. The Company is
building on the work already done in blood cancers where chimeric
antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapies, a
type of living medicine created by isolating and modifying a
patient's T cells to target their specific
tumour, are
being used to treat some haematological malignancies. Their
research teams are exploring new ways to target and arm CAR-Ts to
increase their effectiveness in solid tumours by overcoming the
immune-suppressive tumour microenvironment. Looking to the future,
AstraZeneca is working to engineer next-generation cell therapies,
where physicians could potentially select from a library of
off-the-shelf patient-ready therapies already developed from the
cells of healthy donors.
Ultimately,
by utilising innovative strategies to improve the precision and
effectiveness of cell therapies, the Company's goal is to deliver
new medicines to help transform the lives of patients living with a
range of cancers.
AstraZeneca in oncology
AstraZeneca
is leading a revolution in oncology with the ambition to provide
cures for cancer in every form, following the science to understand
cancer and all its complexities to discover, develop and deliver
life-changing medicines to patients.
The
Company's focus is on some of the most challenging cancers. It is
through persistent innovation that AstraZeneca has built one of the
most diverse portfolios and pipelines in the industry, with the
potential to catalyse changes in the practice of medicine and
transform the patient experience.
AstraZeneca
has the vision to redefine cancer care and, one day, eliminate
cancer as a cause of death.
AstraZeneca
AstraZeneca (LSE/STO/Nasdaq: AZN) is a global,
science-led biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the
discovery, development, and commercialisation of prescription
medicines in Oncology, Rare Diseases, and BioPharmaceuticals,
including Cardiovascular, Renal & Metabolism, and Respiratory
& Immunology. Based in Cambridge, UK, AstraZeneca operates in
over 100 countries and its innovative medicines are used by
millions of patients worldwide. Please
visit astrazeneca.com and
follow the Company on Twitter @AstraZeneca.
Contacts
For details on how to contact the Investor
Relations Team, please click here.
For Media contacts, click here.
Adrian Kemp
Company Secretary
AstraZeneca PLC
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the
requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant
has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
Date:
29 November 2022
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By: /s/
Adrian Kemp
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Name:
Adrian Kemp
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Title:
Company Secretary
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