Kite, Oxford BioTherapeutics Partner to Research Cell Therapies

January 08, 2021 - Kite, a Gilead Company, and Oxford BioTherapeutics recently entered into a collaboration to research and evaluate five novel cell therapies for hematologic and solid tumor indications. 

Oxford BioTherapeutics, a clinical-stage oncology company with immune-oncology and antibody-drug conjugate-based therapies, previously validated the five therapies using its discovery platform, OGAP. Now, the company will leverage OGAP to generate antibodies against these targets. 

Kite and Gilead will have exclusive rights to develop and commercialize therapies based on these targets or antibodies. 

“We are committed to continuing to bring its transformative potential to more patients with different kinds of cancers,” Mert Aktar, vice president of corporate development and strategy at Kite, said in the announcement. 

“We’re excited to partner with Oxford BioTherapeutics to help accelerate this research by identifying new targets in solid tumors and hematologic malignancies where novel approaches may help improve outcomes,” Aktar continued. 

Under the terms of agreement, Oxford BioTherapeutics will receive an upfront payment and will be eligible to receive additional payments based on discovery, clinical and regulatory milestones, and royalties on future sales, Gilead stated.

“Selecting the right target is fundamental for the successful development of first-in-class cell therapies,” said Christian Rohlff, chief executive officer at Oxford BioTherapeutics. 

“On behalf of patients in urgent need of novel therapies, we look forward to working with Kite to advance cell therapies for the treatment of hematologic malignancies and solid tumors,” Rohlff continued.

The deal is part of a pattern of investment in cell therapy development and manufacturing for Kite and its parent company Gilead.

Back in April, Gilead, Kite, and oNKo-innate formed a partnership to uncover cancer immunotherapies and engineered cell therapies focused on natural killer (NK) cells.

Under the terms of agreement, Gilead will leverage oNKo’s genome-wide screening techniques and its technology platform to discover novel immune cell targets that enhance NK cell anti-tumor immunity and create cell therapies. 

Current cancer immunotherapy approaches focus on T cell-mediated anti-tumor immunity, including checkpoint inhibition and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy.  

NK cells are a group of lymphocytes (white blood cells) that are vital to the immune system. When combined, NK and T cells can attack cancer cells but have different tools for destroying tumor cells. 

Experts believe that the next generation of cell therapies holds significant promise for patients because the alternative treatment options represent an advancement in personalized medicine.

Individuals who may benefit from cell therapy are those with chronic conditions such as spinal cord injuries, type 1 diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, stroke, burns, cancer, and osteoarthritis.

The first cell therapy was approved in 2017 and the increasing rate of research and development is enhancing the reality of personalized therapy treatments for patients in the near future. 

Most recently, there were 362 investigational cell and gene therapies in clinical development, a 20 percent increase from 2018, according to a March PhRMA report.

One allogeneic CAR-T cell therapy from CRISPR Therapeutics, which specifically targets CD19+B-cell malignancies, produced positive top-line results in an ongoing Phase 1 clinical trial at the end of October.

The CARBON trial, an open-label, multicenter study, enrolled 12 adult patients with relapsed or refractory non-Hodgkin lymphoma who previously received two lines of therapy. The trial dosed some of their patients with the therapy known as CTX110.

Out of all 12 patients, there were no dose-limiting toxicities found. There was, however, early evidence of dose-dependent anti-tumor activity. 

Complete response rate was achieved in Dose Levels 2, 3, and 4. At Dose Level 3, two out of four patients had complete response and still remain in complete response.