Five Prime Therapeutics has entered a strategic research collaboration and licence agreement with biologic immunotherapeutic firm Inhibrx for new glucocorticoid-induced tumour necrosis factor receptor (GITR) antibody programme.
Inhibrx’s novel GITR programme is currently at lead selection stage, according to Five Prime.
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GITR is an immune checkpoint protein, which is selectively expressed on effector T cells and T regulatory cells. It has been developed to activate an immune response against tumour cells.
In preclinical studies, agonist antibodies have shown the ability to stimulate tumour regressions, specifically when administered in combination with other immuno-oncology therapies.
Inhibrx’s technology is said to provide a new and potentially best-in-class approach to engineer GITR antibody with the desired properties, helping to maximise safety, efficacy, and combinability with other therapies.
The firm’s multivalent antibody scaffolds have been designed to multimerise and activate GITR independent of Fc binding.
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By GlobalDataFive Prime Therapeutics CEO and president Dr Lewis Williams said: "Five Prime is actively pursuing a comprehensive approach to immuno-oncology by identifying pipeline candidates with the potential to work independently or in combination to target macrophages, immune check points, T cell agonist pathways and Treg cells."
Under the deal, Inhibrx will receive $10m licence fee from Five Prime in return for exclusive and worldwide therapeutic and diagnostic rights to antibodies provided by the firm that bind to GITR.
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The deal will also provide Five Prime with an option to licence multi-specific antibodies that bind to GITR and other targets.
Inhibrx will also receive up to $342.5m in development, regulatory and commercial milestone payments per therapeutic product or up to $442.5m in development, regulatory and commercial milestone payment, if the US Food and Drug Administration grants breakthrough therapy status to such therapeutic product.
In addition, milestone payments for development, regulatory and first commercial sale events are expected to be paid in cash or in Five Prime common stock at its discretion. Inhibrx will also receive low double-digit tiered royalties on future product sales.
Image: Scanning electron micrograph of a human T lymphocyte (T cell) from the immune system of a healthy donor. Photo: courtesy of NIAID/NIH.
