$600m acquisition bolsters Celgene’s blood cancer portfolio
pharmafile | October 3, 2016 | News story | Manufacturing and Production, Research and Development | Celgene, EngMab, acquisition, lymphoma, multiple myeloma
Celgene has shelled out $600m for Swiss biotech EngMab in an effort to reinforce its blood cancer portfolio with a view to find a cure for myeloma and lymphoma.
Starting business in 2013, EngMab specialises in the research and development of T-cell bispecific antibodies (TCBs) that kill malignant cells through binding simultaneously to a tumour cell and to the T-cell receptor complex. The move strengthens Celgene’s position as the leader in the multiple myeloma market with blockbuster drugs Revlimid (lenalidomide) and Pomalyst (pomalidomide).
The company gains a new B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA), described by a Celgene spokesperson as a “target of high value for immune-based therapies such as re-engineered autologous T-CAR-T and the re-direction of CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes via anti-CD3 bi-specific antibodies.”
Discussing the acquisition, Celgene CEO Mark Alles said: “This company is developing a bispecific antibody for and against the BCMA target. This is quite complementary to our work with bluebird bio and CAR-T therapy once again directed at the protein, the antigen known as B-cell maturation antigen. The IND for this molecule, which is a bispecific antibody, targets the antigen BCMA and CD3 to allow for the T-cell to do most of the cytotoxic and mediated killing, but we should be in the clinic in late next year. So we will look to have the IND complete and the clinical work to begin on the molecule, sometime later in 2017.”
Matt Fellows
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