ASX-listed cell therapy innovator Chimeric Therapeutics has secured an exclusive global licence from a leading American research university for a promising cancer-fighting treatment.
The treatment centres on NK, or “natural killer” cells that Chimeric says occur organically in the human body and can be used to recognise and kill cancer cells. Ordinarily, NK cells are not strong enough to overcome cancer on their own.
However, Dr David Wald of Case Western Reserve University, or “CWRU” in Ohio invented the CORE-NK platform that Chimeric says enhances the performance of NK cells and makes them more active and robust.
Dr Wald’s technology forms the foundation for Chimeric’s CORE-NK portfolio of products, including a next generation platform to develop treatments for solid tumours and blood cancers.
Chimeric says the treatment showed promise earlier this year in a phase 1 trial in Ohio – particularly in blood cancers where a study showed all patients achieved disease control and one patient attained a complete response that was sustained for 15 months at time of publication of the study.
The company and CWRU have been building their collaboration on the CORE-NK platform in recent months. Chimeric announced an exclusive option agreement with CWRU in November 2021 and the exercise of the exclusive option in May this year.
The two parties also penned a sponsored research agreement, or “SPA” earlier this month in which they agreed to work together on next-generation products from the CORE-NK platform.
Now the duo have an agreement that grants Chimeric certain exclusive worldwide rights in oncology. Chimeric also receives exclusive global rights to the CORE-NK platform, that it calls “CHM 0201”, for immune disorders and viral infectious diseases.
Chimeric CEO and Managing Director, Jennifer Chow said: “This transaction builds significant value for Chimeric – first by bringing a highly promising and clinically de-risked asset with CHM 0201 fully into our portfolio and second by establishing the foundation for a suite of next-generation genetically modified NK cell products.”
The exclusive global licence from CWRU covers patent rights, knowhow and biological materials for the NKF feeder cell line and CORE-NK manufacturing process. Chimeric plans to initiate development of four new next generation NK and CAR NK assets with plans for Phase 1 clinical trials in solid tumours and blood cancers.
The deal also includes industry standard development milestones, patent costs, maintenance fees and royalties on commercial net sales and the company notes any upfront fees associated with the licence agreement will be funded entirely from existing cash reserves.
Chimeric says it is also actively engaged in further developing its oncology pipeline with new and novel cell therapy assets, aiming to bring the promise of cell therapy to life for more patients with cancer.
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By Matt Birney
