TIDMPRTC
PureTech Health PLC
11 November 2020
11 November 2020
PureTech Health plc
PureTech Founded Entity Vor Biopharma Announces Exclusive
License of Clinical-Stage CD33 CAR-T from National Cancer
Institute
PureTech Health plc (LSE: PRTC) ("PureTech" or the "Company"), a
clinical-stage biotherapeutics company dedicated to discovering,
developing and commercialising highly differentiated medicines for
devastating diseases, is pleased to note that its Founded Entity,
Vor, today announced an exclusive licensing agreement with the
National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of
Health (NIH), for intellectual property related to a clinical-stage
anti-CD33 chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy
candidate. This CAR-T construct was devised by T-cell expert Dr
Terry Fry during his tenure at the Pediatric Oncology Branch of the
NCI, where he oversaw development of this therapeutic candidate
from bench to bedside; it is currently being evaluated in a
multi-site Phase 1/2 clinical trial in children and young adults
with relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukaemia (AML).
The full text of the announcement from Vor is as follows:
Vor Biopharma Announces Exclusive License of Clinical-Stage CD33
CAR-T from National Cancer Institute
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - November 11, 2020 - Vor Biopharma , an
oncology company pioneering engineered haematopoietic stem cells
(eHSCs) for the treatment of cancer, today announced an exclusive
licensing agreement with the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part
of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), for intellectual
property related to a clinical-stage anti-CD33 chimeric antigen
receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy candidate. This CAR-T construct was
devised by T-cell expert Dr Terry Fry during his tenure at the
Pediatric Oncology Branch of the NCI, where he oversaw development
of this therapeutic candidate from bench to bedside; it is
currently being evaluated in a multi-site Phase 1/2 clinical trial
in children and young adults with relapsed or refractory acute
myeloid leukaemia (AML).
"As a class, CAR-T cell therapies have had a major positive
impact on the lives of certain patients with haematological
malignancies. But because normal cells often express the same
surface proteins as cancer cells, the utility and applicability of
targeted therapies has been limited, in part, by on-target
toxicity," said Christopher Slapak, MD, Vor's Chief Medical
Officer. "This agreement provides Vor with access to a promising
CD33 CAR-T that could potentially be administered either as
bridge-to-transplant therapy for relapsed or refractory patients
with AML, or following transplant with our lead developmental
candidate VOR33, whereby the CAR-T may selectively target leukaemia
cells while sparing normal myeloid cells."
Vor's lead programme VOR33, which is currently in pre-clinical
development, consists of eHSCs that are engineered to provide AML
patients with a donor-derived haematopoietic stem cell transplant
that lacks the cell surface protein CD33, a clinically validated
target for AML. The goal of removing this target is to make these
eHSCs and their progeny treatment-resistant to anti-CD33 therapies.
As such, Vor believes this CAR-T could be highly complementary to
VOR33.
"This licensing agreement with the NCI is an important milestone
for Vor, as it brings elements of a more complete AML treatment
system under the same roof," said Hilary Eaton, PhD, Vor's Senior
Director of Business Development. "The combination of our
next-generation, treatment-resistant eHSCs with companion
therapeutics such as this CD33 CAR-T is designed to provide a
single company solution for some patients suffering from
haematological malignancies, potentially transforming outcomes and
shifting the standard of care."
More information about the Phase 1/2 study of this CD33 CAR-T
can be found at clinicaltrials.gov .
Other terms of the agreement have not been disclosed.
About VOR33
Vor's lead product candidate, VOR33, consists of engineered
haematopoietic stem cells (eHSCs) that lack the protein CD33. Once
these cells are transplanted into a cancer patient, we believe that
CD33 will become a far more cancer-specific target, potentially
avoiding toxicity to the normal blood and bone marrow associated
with CD33-targeted therapies. Vor aims to improve the therapeutic
window and effectiveness of CD33-targeted therapies, thereby
potentially broadening the clinical benefit to patients suffering
from acute myeloid leukaemia.
About Vor Biopharma
Vor Biopharma aims to transform the lives of cancer patients by
pioneering engineered haematopoietic stem cell (eHSC) therapies. By
removing biologically redundant proteins from eHSCs, these cells
become inherently invulnerable to complementary targeted therapies
while tumour cells are left susceptible, thereby unleashing the
potential of targeted therapies to benefit cancer patients in
need.
Vor's platform could be used to potentially change the treatment
paradigm of both haematopoietic stem cell transplants and targeted
therapies, such as antibody drug conjugates, bispecific antibodies,
and CAR-T cell treatments.
Vor is based in Cambridge, Mass. and has a broad intellectual
property base, including in-licenses from Columbia University,
where foundational work was conducted by inventor and Vor
Scientific Board Chair Siddhartha Mukherjee, MD, DPhil.
About PureTech Health
PureTech is a clinical-stage biotherapeutics company dedicated
to discovering, developing and commercialising highly
differentiated medicines for devastating diseases, including
intractable cancers, lymphatic and gastrointestinal diseases,
central nervous system disorders and inflammatory and immunological
diseases, among others. The Company has created a broad and deep
pipeline through the expertise of its experienced research and
development team and its extensive network of scientists,
clinicians and industry leaders. This pipeline, which is being
advanced both internally and through PureTech's Founded Entities,
is comprised of 24 products and product candidates, including two
that have received US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance
and European marketing authorisation. All of the underlying
programmes and platforms that resulted in this pipeline of product
candidates were initially identified or discovered and then
advanced by the PureTech team through key validation points based
on the Company's unique insights into the biology of the brain,
immune and gut, or BIG, systems and the interface between those
systems, referred to as the BIG Axis.
For more information, visit www.puretechhealth.com or connect
with us on Twitter @puretechh.
Forward Looking Statement
This press release contains statements that are or may be
forward-looking statements, including statements that relate to the
Gelesis' future prospects, developments, and strategies. The
forward looking statements are based on current expectations and
are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could
cause actual results, performance and achievements to differ
materially from current expectations, including, but not limited
to, our expectations regarding the therapeutic potential of CD33
and the potential combination of CD33 with Vor's other product
candidates as potential treatment options for AML and those risks
and uncertainties described in the risk factors included in the
regulatory filings for PureTech Health plc. These forward-looking
statements are based on assumptions regarding the present and
future business strategies of the company and the environment in
which it will operate in the future. Each forward-looking statement
speaks only as at the date of this press release. Except as
required by law and regulatory requirements, neither the company
nor any other party intends to update or revise these
forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information,
future events or otherwise.
Contact:
Investors EU media
Allison Mead Talbot Ben Atwell, Rob Winder
+1 617 651 3156 +44 (0) 20 3727 1000
amt@puretechhealth.com ben.atwell@FTIconsulting.com
This information is provided by Reach, the non-regulatory press
release distribution service of RNS, part of the London Stock
Exchange. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution
of this information may apply. For further information, please
contact rns@lseg.com or visit www.rns.com.
RNS may use your IP address to confirm compliance with the terms
and conditions, to analyse how you engage with the information
contained in this communication, and to share such analysis on an
anonymised basis with others as part of our commercial services.
For further information about how RNS and the London Stock Exchange
use the personal data you provide us, please see our Privacy
Policy.
END
NRAXBLLFBFLBFBV
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
November 11, 2020 08:03 ET (13:03 GMT)
Puretech Health (LSE:PRTC)
Historical Stock Chart
From Jul 2024 to Aug 2024
Puretech Health (LSE:PRTC)
Historical Stock Chart
From Aug 2023 to Aug 2024