Tech Transfer Deals, April 2015
This article was originally published in Start Up
Executive Summary
Derived from Strategic Transactions, Informa’s premium source for tracking life sciences deal activity, the Tech Transfer Deals column provides a monthly update on technology transfer deals, reporting licensing agreements between companies and universities or other research institutions within the In Vitro Diagnostics, Medical Devices, and Pharmaceuticals sectors. This month’s column covers deals announced February through March 2015.
IN VITRO DIAGNOSTICS
Case Western Reserve University
Population Genetics Technologies Ltd.
Population Genetics, Case Western ally in diagnostics aimed at HIV drug resistance
Population Genetics Technologies Ltd. is teaming up with Case Western Reserve University to develop diagnostics for determining HIV drug resistance. (Mar.)
The company will work with the lab of Dr. Miguel Quiñones-Mateu. Population Genetics’ VeriTag technology can enhance the sensitivity of next-generation sequencing (NGS). Standard sequencing tests for HIV drug resistance are only able to detect a mutation that’s present in at least 20% of viruses. Although NGS can detect resistance mutations to the 1-5% level, even this level of detection may be insufficient since mutations at even lower levels can result in the development of drug resistance. VeriTag, however, can overcome this limitation. Population Genetics, together with Dr. Miguel Quiñones-Mateu and his expertise, hope to successfully develop and validate HIV and other infectious disease diagnostics.
MEDICAL DEVICES
Gentag Inc.
Mayo Clinic
Gentag, Mayo Clinic to develop patch sensors for obesity and related conditions
Gentag Inc. is teaming up with the Mayo Clinic to develop next-generation wearable biosensors for treating obesity and diabetes. (Mar.)
The deal combines IP--more than 50 issued patents and technologies--from both parties. Gentag contributes radar-responsive tag technology with Mayo Clinic’s micro-miniature transceiver chip, creating a patch biosensor with wireless communication capabilities. The painless wearable patch is the size of a small bandage and incorporates a sensor that transmits to a closed-loop diabetes management system that’s compatible with cell phones. The device will enable clinicians to monitor movement and help manage obesity and related conditions. The firms also agreed to collaborate with third parties.
PHARMACEUTICALS
City of Hope
Coronado Biosciences Inc.
Mustang Therapeutics Inc.
Coronado forms Mustang, pays City of Hope up to $40mm for CART IP
Fortress Biotech Inc. formed another division, Mustang Therapeutics Inc., which will develop IP in-licensed from the City of Hope focused on chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CART) therapies for cancer. (Mar.)
City of Hope gets up to $40mm in up-front and milestone payments in exchange for its portfolio of CART projects, which were originally developed by Drs. Stephen Forman and Christine Brown. Mustang and Coronado expect to enroll patients in the first human trials of two of the in-licensed projects at City of Hope later this year, with Mustang holding rights to develop and eventually commercialize the compounds. The deal is the second with a tech transfer for Coronado this month. It also helped its newly formed division Checkpoint Therapeutics license immuno-oncology candidates from Dana-Farber.
Coronado Biosciences Inc.
Checkpoint Therapeutics Inc.
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
New Coronado division Checkpoint licenses antibodies from Dana-Farber
Fortress Biotech Inc. created a new division, Checkpoint Therapeutics Inc., which has been tasked with developing a handful of preclinical immuno-oncology antibodies in-licensed from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. (Mar.)
Checkpoint made an up-front payment to the institute in exchange for the rights, and is responsible for development and sales milestones, plus royalties. The antibodies, which were developed by Dana-Farber’s Dr. Wayne Marasco, target programmed cell death protein 1 ligand 1 (PD-L1), glucocorticoid-induced tumor necrosis factor receptor related protein (GITR), and carbonic anhydrase IX (CAIX). Checkpoint plans to develop all three both on their own and in combination with each other. Concurrent with the in-licensing, the company announced that it granted TG Therapeutics Inc. exclusive rights to develop and sell antibodies against PD-L1 and GITR for blood cancers, while Checkpoint will work on them for solid tumors. (In the TG deal, Checkpoint got $500k up front and could see up to $164mm in milestones, plus single-digit royalties.)
Joslin Diabetes Center
AstraZeneca PLC
MedImmune LLC
MedImmune and the Joslin Diabetes Center work together on new therapies
MedImmune LLC and the Joslin Diabetes Center signed a three-year deal to discover and develop new treatments for diabetes, obesity, and related metabolic diseases. (Mar.)
Headed by Joslin’s Dr. C. Ronal Kahn, the partners will identify new drug candidates based on three initial projects: protecting and regenerating insulin producing beta cells; increasing the caloric utilization of fat depots; and replicating, pharmacologically, the beneficial effects of bariatric surgery. MedImmune brings to the table its drug development expertise, and will provide Joslin with research funding in exchange for an option to license development and commercialization rights to any compounds that result from the deal. Through its Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disease Innovative Medicines unit, MedImmune counts diabetes and metabolic diseases as a high development priority, though the company’s pipeline thus far only holds two cardio projects, both in Phase I (MEDI6012 to acute coronary syndrome and MEDI8111 for trauma/bleeding), and none for metabolic diseases.