Bellicum and Astellas Announce License Agreement for Cancer Target PSCA in Cell and Gene Therapy
Bellicum obtains rights to develop adoptive cell therapies targeting tumors expressing PSCA
Astellas or
PSCA is a cancer antigen expressed in many malignancies, including prostate, pancreatic, bladder, esophagus, and gastric cancers. Bellicum is developing BPX-601, a GoCAR-T™ product candidate targeting PSCA that has demonstrated robust anti-tumor activity in preclinical studies. GoCAR-T is a proprietary Bellicum technology in which an MC (MyD88/CD40) molecular switch is designed to enable pharmacologic control over the activation, proliferation and persistence of the GoCAR-T cells in a patient.
“PSCA is an attractive target for our CAR-T cell technology and the
license agreement allows Bellicum to advance BPX-601 into a number of
cancers where there is a significant unmet medical need,” commented
Bellicum’s President and CEO
“We are pleased to enter into this agreement with Bellicum whose
breakthrough technology has high potential to advance innovative cancer
immune cell therapies. With this license, we expect to provide a new
therapeutic option to cancer patients as early as possible with the
benefit of the two companies’ technologies. This collaboration is one
piece of our strategy in cancer immunotherapy, where Astellas is
actively engaged, and we will continue to make aggressive investments in
the field of cancer immunotherapy including cancer cell therapies,” said
Under the terms and conditions of the license agreement,
About
Bellicum is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing cellular immunotherapies for cancers and orphan inherited blood disorders. Bellicum is using its proprietary Chemical Induction of Dimerization (CID) technology platform to engineer and control components of the immune system. Bellicum is developing next-generation product candidates in some of the most important areas of cellular immunotherapy, including hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), and CAR-T and TCR cell therapies. More information can be found at www.bellicum.com.
About Astellas
Forward-Looking Statements: Bellicum
This press release contains forward-looking statements for purposes
of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995. Bellicum may, in some cases, use terms such as
“predicts”, “believes”, “potential”, “proposed”, “continue”, “designed”,
“estimates”, “anticipates”, “expects”, “plans”, “intends”, “may”,
“could”, “might”, “will”, “should”, or other words that convey
uncertainty of future events or outcomes to identify these
forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include
statements regarding our intentions, beliefs, projections, outlook,
analyses or current expectations concerning, among other things: the
timing and success of our collaboration with Astellas; the timing and
success of our clinical trials, including the timing
of an IND filing for BPX-601 and our
research and development activities relating to BPX-601; the
effectiveness of BPX-601 and its possible range of application. Various
factors may cause differences between Bellicum’s expectations and actual
results as discussed in greater detail under the heading “Risk Factors”
in Bellicum’s filings with the
Forward-Looking Statements: Astellas
This press release includes forward-looking statements based on
assumptions and beliefs in light of the information currently available
to management and subject to significant risks and uncertainties.
Forward-looking statements include all statements other than statements
of historical fact, including plans, strategies and expectations for the
future, statements regarding the expected timing of filings and
approvals relating to the transaction, the expected timing of the
completion of the transaction, the ability to complete the transaction
or to satisfy the various closing conditions, future revenues and
profitability from or growth or any assumptions underlying any of the
foregoing. Statements made in the future tense, and words such as
“anticipate,” “expect,” “project,” “continue,” “believe,” “plan,”
“estimate,” “pro forma,” “intend,” “potential,” “target,” “forecast,”
“guidance,” “outlook,” “seek,” “assume,” “will,” “may,” “should,” and
similar expressions are intended to qualify as forward-looking
statements. Forward-looking statements are based on estimates and
assumptions made by management that are believed to be reasonable,
though they are inherently uncertain and difficult to predict. Investors
and security holders are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these
forward-looking statements.
Actual financial results may
differ materially depending on a number of factors including adverse
economic conditions, currency exchange rate fluctuations, adverse
legislative and regulatory developments, delays in new product launch,
pricing and product initiatives of competitors, the inability of the
company to market existing and new products effectively, interruptions
in production, infringements of the company’s intellectual property
rights and the adverse outcome of material litigation. This press
release contains information on pharmaceuticals (including compounds
under development), but this information is not intended to make any
representations or advertisements regarding the efficacy or
effectiveness of these pharmaceuticals nor provide medical advice of any
kind.
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Source:
Bellicum Pharmaceuticals
Investors:
Alan Musso,
832-384-1116
CFO
amusso@bellicum.com
or
Media:
BMC
Communications
Brad Miles, 646-513-3125
bmiles@bmccommunications.com
or
Astellas
Pharma Inc.
Corporate Communications
+81-3-3244-3201
http://www.astellas.com/en