Full Press Release Details
Announces Collaboration and License Agreement with Merck for Novel
Checkpoint Antibody-Based Cancer Immunotherapies
is eligible to receive ~$100 million in milestone payments as well as
royalties on worldwide product sales
LEXINGTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 28, 2014--Agenus Inc. (NASDAQ:
AGEN) announced today that the company has entered into a collaboration
and license agreement with Merck, known as MSD outside the United States
and Canada, through a subsidiary, for the discovery and development of
therapeutic antibodies to immune checkpoints for the treatment of
cancer. Under the terms of the agreement, Agenus will discover and
optimize fully human antibodies against two undisclosed Merck checkpoint
targets using the 4-Antibody Retrocyte Display
platform. Merck will be responsible for clinical development and
commercialization of candidates generated under the collaboration.
Under the terms of the agreement, Agenus is eligible to receive
approximately $100 million in potential payments associated with the
completion of certain clinical, regulatory and commercial milestones for
two candidates from Merck. In addition, Agenus is eligible to receive
royalty payments on worldwide product sales.
"We are delighted to be working with Merck, who is a leader in the
rapidly developing immuno-oncology space," said Bob Stein, MD, PhD,
Chief Scientific Officer of Agenus Inc. "We believe our Retrocyte
Display technology has significant advantages for creation of high
quality antibody development candidates. This collaboration broadens our
efforts in immuno-oncology beyond our previously disclosed checkpoint
programs with a world-class research and development partner."
"This collaboration with Agenus complements our active immuno-oncology
discovery programs," said Dr. Eric Rubin, vice president clinical
oncology, Merck Research Laboratories. "We look forward to working to
advance these programs with the potential to address the unmet medical
needs of people with cancer."
Agenus acquired 4-Antibody AG, a private European-based
biopharmaceutical company in February 2014. The 4-Antibody assets
include the Retrocyte Display technology platform for discovery and
optimization of fully human antibodies against a wide array of molecular
targets. Agenus has multiple preclinical checkpoint modulator programs
in development including GITR and OX40 agonists and antagonists of
TIM-3, LAG-3, PD-1 and CTLA-4. These programs are being pursued through
a strategic collaboration with Ludwig Cancer Research.
About Checkpoint Modulators
Clinical data from studies employing monoclonal antibodies that bind to
checkpoint molecules, such as cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen-4 (CTLA-4)
and programmed death receptor-1 (PD-1), have generated considerable
excitement in the field of immuno-oncology. Checkpoints are employed by
the body to prevent a runaway immune response, which can be debilitating
or deadly. Unfortunately, these very same checkpoint mechanisms can also
be used by cancer cells as a defense against immune attack. Antibodies
that bind to PD-1 and CTLA-4 are designed to help immune cells overcome
the checkpoint defenses of cancer cells. Other checkpoint proteins, such
as GITR and OX40, are receptors found on T cells that stimulate immune
function. Agenus and Ludwig Cancer Research are driving leading-edge
programs to discover and develop fully human monoclonal antibodies that
bind to key checkpoint proteins and activate or block their activities
for use in cancer therapy.
Agenus is an immuno-oncology company developing a portfolio of
checkpoint modulators (CPMs), heat shock protein vaccines and adjuvants.
Agenus' checkpoint modulator programs target GITR, OX40, CTLA-4, LAG-3,
TIM-3 and PD-1. The company's proprietary discovery engine Retrocyte
Display is used to generate fully human therapeutic
antibody drug candidates. The Retrocyte Display platform uses a
high-throughput approach incorporating IgG format human antibody
libraries expressed in mammalian B-lineage cells. Agenus' heat shock
protein vaccines for cancer and infectious disease are in Phase 2
studies. The company's QS-21 Stimulon adjuvant
platform is extensively partnered with GlaxoSmithKline and Janssen and
includes several candidates in Phase 3 trials. Among Agenus and its
partners, 22 programs are in clinical development. For more information,
please visit www.agenusbio.com, or connect with the company on
Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Google+.
Retrocyte Display and QS-21 Stimulon are registered trademarks of Agenus
and its subsidiaries.
Jonae R. Barnes, 781-674-4538 Office
Investor Relations and Corporate Communications