Astellas’ $20.5M Deal With GO Therapeutics to Develop Immuno-Oncology Therapeutics

Japanese drugmaker Astellas announced a strategic partnership with Cambridge, MA-based GO Therapeutics to advance antibody-based cancer therapeutics in combination with glycoproteins that specifically target cancer cells. Under this agreement, the two will collaborate to identify novel antibodies with high affinity to two different glycoprotein targets and apply these antibodies in clinical settings.

GO is eyeing Xyphos Biosciences’ ConvertibleCAR technology platform, the biotech was acquired by Astellas in December 2019 for $120 million upfront.

“The combination of GO’s targets and antibodies and Astellas’ ACCEL technology promises to create a new generation of cancer treatments that have a greater therapeutic index. This will enable oncologists to increase the efficacy of antibody-based immunotherapies for solid tumors with less damage to healthy tissues,” said Constantine Theodoropulos, co-founder and CEO of GO Therapeutics.

Related article: Cell and Gene Therapy Landscape in Japan is Moving Beyond Oncology

convertibleCAR Technology for Flexible Cell Therapies

Astellas’ re-configurable CAR (chimeric antigen receptor) platform – convertibleCAR, creates flexible cell therapies that can be engineered and re-engineered inside the body to target more than one tumor antigen, offering better methods to mobilize immune cells to seek out and eliminate target tumor cells. While GO’s pipeline focuses on truncated O-glycans unique to cancer cells’ surfaces and the developments of high-affinity antibodies against cancer O-glycoproteins.

GO will lead the discovery of antibodies against cancer glycoproteins targets. Astellas will handle research activities, clinical development, and more. Xyphos will pay GO Therapeutics $20.5 million upfront, with possible total payment of $763 million. 

GO Therapeutics is currently running 7 antibody programs, encompassing receptor proteins, mucins, extracellular matrix, etc. In 2018, GO also entered into a similar immuno-oncology deal with Roche for $9 million in advance, and $186 million in potential milestone payments.

The deal follows Astellas’ research collaboration and license agreement with Twist Bioscience, announced last month, to identify potential therapeutic antibodies which would reduce tumor microenvironment-mediated immunosuppression.

Author

Fujie Tham