Crescendo Biologics Ltd today announces that Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited (Takeda), has exercised an option under its existing, multi-target collaboration and license agreement.
Cambridge, UK, 5 November 2018 – Crescendo Biologics Ltd (Crescendo), the drug developer of novel, targeted T-cell enhancing therapeutics, today announces that Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited (Takeda), has exercised an option under its existing, multi-target collaboration and license agreement. Takeda has taken an exclusive licence to Humabodies directed to one of its oncology targets.
This licence option exercise comes substantially earlier than planned and marks the highly successful delivery and further pre-clinical evaluation by Takeda of Humabody® leads meeting its stringent criteria.
Dr Peter Pack, CEO of Crescendo, commented:
“The team at Crescendo has made great progress on our Humabody programmes, working closely with the Takeda team. To date, we have met all the technical milestones on time or earlier than planned, which is proof of our excellent collaboration. We are delighted that the option to license has been taken by Takeda ahead of schedule and look forward to further future successes.”
Chris Arendt, Head, Oncology Drug Discovery Unit & Immunology Unit, Takeda, commented:
“At Takeda, we continue to research diverse modalities to bring transformative treatments to patients with cancer. Our decision to exercise the licence was based on the quality of the Humabody leads and the potential we see to develop improved and differentiated immuno-oncology therapies.”
Takeda’s option is part of the existing multi-target collaboration and licence agreement announced in October 2016 where Takeda received the right to develop and commercialise Humabody®-based therapeutics resulting from the collaboration. Under the agreement, Crescendo is eligible to receive clinical development, regulatory and sales-based milestone payments of up to $754 million plus royalties on Humabody®-based product sales by Takeda.
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For further information please contact:
Crescendo Biologics
Dr Peter Pack, CEO
+ 44 (0)1223 497140
info@crescendobiologics.com
Instinctif Partners
Deborah Bell, Dr Christelle Kerouedan, Melanie Toyne-Sewell
+ 44 (0)20 7457 2020
crescendo@instinctif.com
About Crescendo Biologics
Crescendo Biologics is a biopharmaceutical company developing potent, truly differentiated Humabody®therapeutics in oncology with a focus on innovative targeted T-cell approaches.
Leading its proprietary pipeline, Crescendo Biologics has developed CB307, a novel bispecific PSMA-targeted T-cell enhancer for the selective activation of tumour-specific T-cells exclusively within the tumour microenvironment, thereby avoiding systemic toxicity. This highly modular format can be re-configured to create a pipeline of multiple therapeutic candidates each treating a different cancer indication, by targeting any of a range of alternative tumour-specific markers.
The Company’s ability to develop multi-functional Humabody® therapeutics is based on its unique, patent protected, transgenic mouse platform generating 100% human VH domain building blocks (Humabody®VH). These robust molecules can be configured to optimally engage therapeutic targets delivering novel biology and superior bio-distribution. This results in larger therapeutic windows compared to conventional IgG approaches.
Crescendo Biologics is pursuing novel Humabody®-based product opportunities, through in-house development and strategic partnerships, including multi-functional immuno-oncology modulators and Humabody® drug conjugates (HDCs), the next generation of ADCs. Humabody®-based formats can also be applied across a range of non-cancer indications.
Crescendo Biologics is located in Cambridge, UK, and is backed by blue-chip investors including Sofinnova Partners, Andera Partners, IP Group, Takeda Ventures, Quan Capital and Astellas.
For more information, please visit the website: www.crescendobiologics.com.
