- Leverages Poseida's proprietary allogeneic
CAR-T platform to develop innovative convertibleCAR®
programs targeting solid tumors -
TOKYO and SAN DIEGO, May 1, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- Astellas Pharma Inc. (TSE: 4503, President and
CEO: Naoki Okamura, "Astellas") and
Poseida Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: PSTX, President and CEO:
Kristin Yarema, "Poseida") today
announced that Xyphos Biosciences, Inc., (a wholly owned subsidiary
of Astellas, "Xyphos") and Poseida have entered into a research
collaboration and license agreement to develop novel
convertibleCAR® programs by combining the
innovative cell therapy platforms from each of the companies.
Poseida is advancing differentiated cell and gene therapies with
the capacity to cure certain cancers and rare diseases. In
oncology, its pipeline includes allogeneic CAR-T cell therapy
product candidates for both solid and liquid tumors that address
patient populations with high unmet medical need. Xyphos utilizes a
novel and proprietary ACCEL™ technology*1 platform that
uses its convertibleCAR® (convertible Chimeric
Antigen Receptor)*1 in combination with proprietary
MicAbodies*1 to target tumor cells.
Under the terms of the agreement, the companies plan to combine
Poseida's proprietary allogeneic CAR-T platform with Xyphos'
ACCEL™ technology to create one Poseida-developed
CAR-T construct to form the basis of two
convertibleCAR® product candidates targeting
solid tumors. Xyphos will reimburse Poseida for costs incurred as
part of the research agreement and will be responsible for the
development and future commercialization of products generated from
the collaboration. Poseida will receive US $50 million upfront plus potential development
and sales milestones and contingency payments of up to US
$550 million in total. Additionally,
Poseida is eligible for up to low double digit tiered royalties as
a percentage of net sales.
Kristin Yarema, Ph.D.,
President and CEO of Poseida
"We are excited to expand our
relationship with Astellas, where we share a vision that cutting
edge, off the shelf cell therapies can address significant unmet
needs of patients with solid tumor malignancies. Today's agreement
further reinforces the economic value of Poseida's highly
differentiated non-viral technologies and enables development in
areas beyond our core pipeline focus. It also highlights Poseida's
role as the partner of choice in allogeneic CAR-T."
Adam Pearson, Chief Strategy
Officer (CStO) of Astellas
"At Astellas, we have a strong
commitment to developing novel treatments for patients with cancer
and have positioned Immuno-Oncology as a Primary Focus of our
R&D strategy*2. By leveraging our extensive
expertise, experience in cancer biology and unique technologies, we
are focused on reinvigorating the immune system's ability to
discover, disarm and destroy cancers in more patients. By combining
the ACCEL™ platform with Poseida's elegant and cutting-edge genetic
editing platforms, we believe the collaboration will bring
synergies between the two companies' breakthrough research and will
ultimately lead to expansion of Astellas' portfolio and to delivery
of innovative CAR-T cell therapies to cancer patients."
In August 2023, Astellas and
Poseida announced a strategic investment by Astellas to support
Poseida's commitment to redefining cancer cell therapy.
*1 ACCEL™ technology and
convertibleCAR®:
ACCEL™ technology is based on a synthetic biology
approach that utilizes the binding of an engineered protein ligand
to an orthogonal engineered receptor which forms the extracellular
domain of a convertible CAR (chimeric antigen receptor). The
convertibleCAR® is targeted to tumor cells with a
tumor-associated antigen-specific engineered antibody-like molecule
(MicAbody) containing the engineered ligand. For more information,
please visit http://www.xyphosinc.com
*2: Astellas has established a Focus Area Approach for
its research and development strategy. For more information, please
visit our website at Areas of Interest | Astellas Pharma Inc.
About Astellas
Astellas Pharma Inc. is a
pharmaceutical company conducting business in more than 70
countries around the world. We are promoting the Focus Area
Approach that is designed to identify opportunities for the
continuous creation of new drugs to address diseases with high
unmet medical needs by focusing on Biology and Modality.
Furthermore, we are also looking beyond our foundational Rx focus
to create Rx+® healthcare solutions that combine our
expertise and knowledge with cutting-edge technology in different
fields of external partners. Through these efforts, Astellas stands
on the forefront of healthcare change to turn innovative science
into VALUE for patients. For more information, please visit our
website at https://www.astellas.com/en.
About Xyphos Biosciences, Inc., an Astellas
Company
Xyphos Biosciences, Inc., located at South San Francisco, Calif., is a wholly owned
subsidiary of Astellas featuring ACCELTM technology, a
CAR (chimeric antigen receptor) technology platform for immune cell
therapies. Xyphos Biosciences was launched in 2017, and the Company
was acquired by Astellas Pharma in December of 2019. For more
information about the company, please visit www.xyphosinc.com.
About Poseida Therapeutics, Inc.
Poseida Therapeutics
is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company advancing
differentiated cell therapies and genetic medicines with the
capacity to cure certain cancers and rare diseases. The Company's
pipeline includes investigational allogeneic CAR-T cell therapies
for both solid tumors and hematologic cancers as well as
investigational in vivo genetic medicines that address patient
populations with high unmet medical need. The Company's approach is
based on its proprietary genetic editing platforms, including its
non-viral piggyBac® DNA Delivery System, Cas-CLOVER™
Site-Specific Gene Editing System, Booster Molecule and
nanoparticle gene delivery technologies, as well as in-house GMP
cell therapy manufacturing. The Company has formed a global
strategic collaboration with Roche to unlock the promise of cell
therapies for patients with hematologic malignancies. Learn more at
www.poseida.com and connect with Poseida on X and LinkedIn.
Cautionary Notes (Astellas)
In this press release,
statements made with respect to current plans, estimates,
strategies and beliefs and other statements that are not historical
facts are forward-looking statements about the future performance
of Astellas. These statements are based on management's current
assumptions and beliefs in light of the information currently
available to it and involve known and unknown risks and
uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to
differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking
statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: (i)
changes in general economic conditions and in laws and regulations,
relating to pharmaceutical markets, (ii) currency exchange rate
fluctuations, (iii) delays in new product launches, (iv) the
inability of Astellas to market existing and new products
effectively, (v) the inability of Astellas to continue to
effectively research and develop products accepted by customers in
highly competitive markets, and (vi) infringements of
Astellas' intellectual property rights by third parties.
Information about pharmaceutical products (including products
currently in development) which is included in this press release
is not intended to constitute an advertisement or medical
advice.
Forward-Looking Statements (Poseida)
Statements
contained in this press release regarding matters that are not
historical facts are "forward-looking statements" within the
meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
Such forward-looking statements include statements regarding, among
other things, the upfront payment and other potential fees,
reimbursements, milestone, and royalty payments and research
development activities under the collaboration agreement, the
potential benefits of Poseida's relationship with Astellas and
Xyphos; the quotes from Dr. Yarema and Mr. Pearson; the potential
capabilities and benefits of Poseida's technology platforms and
product candidates; and Poseida's plans and strategy with respect
to developing its technologies and product candidates. Because such
statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, actual results
may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such
forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are
based upon Poseida's current expectations and involve assumptions
that may never materialize or may prove to be incorrect. Actual
results could differ materially from those anticipated in such
forward-looking statements as a result of various risks and
uncertainties, which include, without limitation, the fact that the
collaboration agreement may be terminated early; the fact that
Poseida will have limited control over the efforts and resources
that Astellas or Xyphos devote to advancing development programs
under the collaboration agreement, and Poseida may not receive the
potential fees and payments under the collaboration agreement or
fully realize the benefits of the collaboration; risks and
uncertainties associated with development and regulatory approval
of novel product candidates in the biopharmaceutical industry; and
the other risks described in Poseida's filings with the Securities
and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements contained
in this press release speak only as of the date on which they were
made. Poseida undertakes no obligation to update such statements to
reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the
date on which they were made, except as required by law.
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SOURCE ASTELLAS PHARMA INC.
