Novartis and Pennsylvania team up on cancer research
pharmafile | August 6, 2012 | News story | Research and Development |Â Â Cancer, Novartis, University of Pennsylvania, chimeric antigen receptorÂ
Novartis and the University of Pennsylvania have joined forces to investigate a method of treating cancer which encourages patients’ immune systems to battle their disease.
The Swiss pharma firm and the academics are to develop chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) immunotherapies and will also set up a new R&D facility, the Center for Advanced Cellular Therapies (CACT), on the Penn campus.
CAR technology takes T cells from a patient’s blood, re-codes them to identify cells expressing proteins on tumours and re-introduces them to bind to – and destroy – those targeted cancer cells.
It is certainly early days but two patients with advanced chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) were in remission for more than a year after a pilot study with Penn’s first CAR investigational therapy, CART-19.
A third patient maintained partial remission for more than seven months. A phase II trial is expected to begin after September.
“Initial data provide proof that this CAR therapy can activate a patient’s own immune system to fight cancerous tumours,” said Carl June, Penn’s director of translational research.
CART-19 – which Novartis has licenced – targets the CD19 protein associated with a number of B-cell malignancies such as CLL, B-cell acute lymphocytic leukemia and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.
“By combining Penn’s expertise on this pioneering technology with Novartis’ strength in bringing innovative therapies to patients, we have the potential to transform the future of cancer treatment,” said Hervé Hoppenot, president of Novartis Oncology.
In addition to worldwide rights to CART-19, Novartis will have similar access to any other products for all indications from the collaboration with Penn.
No details of the money involved were disclosed but Novartis has dug deep into its pockets to provide an up-front payment, research funding plus money to set up the CACT as well as the usual milestone payments.
Patients in the pilot study, who had previously received chemotherapy and biological therapy, have been treated for the toxic effect hypogammaglobulinemia, and for symptoms associated with tumour lysis syndrome.
Other anti-CLL drugs in development include Janssen/Pharmacyclics’ PCI-32765, an oral, first-in-class Bruton’s tyrosine kinase inhibitor.
GlaxoSmithKline’s Arzerra (ofatumumab) is one of the established brands on the market.
Adam Hill
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