BERKELEY, Calif., Oct. 29, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aduro Biotech, Inc. (Nasdaq:ADRO) today announced that it has received a milestone payment from Janssen Biotech, Inc. for the acceptance of Aduro’s Investigational New Drug (IND) Application by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for ADU-214, a LADD immunotherapy product candidate for the treatment of lung cancer. Janssen, Aduro’s license partner for ADU-214, expects to initiate a multi-center Phase 1 trial to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of intravenous administration of ADU-214 by the end of 2015.
“The acceptance of the IND marks an important milestone for Aduro, as ADU-214 will be the first immunotherapy compound to enter clinical trials through our license agreement with Janssen,” said Stephen T. Isaacs, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Aduro. “Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide and traditionally has been very difficult to treat. We believe ADU-214 may be an attractive alternative in combatting this deadly disease.”
In October 2014, Aduro entered into its second agreement with Janssen Biotech, Inc., part of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, granting an exclusive, worldwide license to ADU-214 and other product candidates engineered for the treatment of lung cancer and certain other cancers based on Aduro’s novel LADD immunotherapy platform. Under the agreement facilitated by Johnson & Johnson Innovation center, Aduro received a $30 million up-front payment and a milestone payment associated with submission of the IND, and is eligible to receive future development, regulatory and commercialization milestone payments up to a potential total of $786 million. In addition, Aduro is eligible to receive royalties at a rate ranging from high single-digits to low teens on worldwide net sales upon successful launch and commercialization.
About LADD
LADD is Aduro’s proprietary platform of live-attenuated double-deleted Listeria monocytogenes strains that have been engineered to induce a potent innate immune response and to express tumor-associated antigens to induce tumor-specific T cell-mediated immunity.
About Aduro
Aduro Biotech, Inc. (Nasdaq:ADRO) is a clinical-stage immunotherapy company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of therapies that transform the treatment of challenging diseases. Aduro’s technology platforms, which are designed to harness the body’s natural immune system, are being investigated in cancer indications and have the potential to expand into autoimmune and infectious diseases. Aduro’s LADD technology platform is based on proprietary attenuated strains of Listeria that have been engineered to express tumor-associated antigens to induce specific and targeted immune responses. Based on compelling clinical data in advanced cancers, this platform is being developed as a treatment for multiple indications, including pancreatic, lung and prostate cancers, mesothelioma and glioblastoma. Aduro’s cyclic dinucleotide (CDN) platform is designed to activate the intracellular STING receptor, resulting in a potent tumor-specific immune response. Aduro is collaborating with leading global pharmaceutical companies to expand its products and technology platforms. For more information, please visit www.aduro.com.
Help employers find you! Check out all the jobs and post your resume.
