TOKYO and CAMBRIDGE, Mass., April
21, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Astellas Pharma Inc.
(Tokyo: 4503) and Potenza
Therapeutics, Inc., a biotechnology company developing a portfolio
of immuno-oncology programs, today announced an exclusive research
and development collaboration. The goal of the collaboration
is to advance a portfolio consisting of programs with novel
mechanisms of action targeting immune checkpoint pathways,
co-stimulatory signals and regulatory T cells. The agreement
includes an option that allows for the future acquisition of
Potenza by Astellas on pre-determined terms at the end of the
collaboration period.
"We are at the beginning of a new era in cancer therapy. First
generation immuno-oncology therapeutics have demonstrated
meaningful clinical benefit to patients with certain cancers. The
new targets and pathways that Potenza is working on offer promise
for continued expansion of immunotherapy treatment options," said
Daniel Hicklin, Ph.D., co-founder of
Potenza and the company's chief executive officer. "We are excited
to partner with Astellas to progress our programs in support of
their strategy to become a global leader in oncology and
next-generation therapeutics."
Under the terms of the collaboration agreement, Potenza will
lead drug discovery activities and deliver development candidates
to Astellas. Astellas will be responsible for clinical development
activities and commercialization. Specific financial terms will not
be disclosed, but include an equity investment, option fee,
research funding, and potential future acquisition and milestone
payments.
"Despite the recent clinical success of checkpoint-blocking
monoclonal antibodies targeting PD-1, PD-L1 and CTLA-4, there still
remains significant unmet medical need in non-responder patients
and unresponsive tumor types. Astellas is focusing on this unmet
medical need with novel mechanisms of action and modalities," said
Kenji Yasukawa, Ph.D., senior vice
president and chief strategy officer of Astellas. "I am pleased
that we are collaborating with Potenza, whose team of scientific
founders, management and venture capitalists all have a proven
track record in the field of cancer immunotherapy. This
collaboration is one piece of Astellas' cancer immunotherapy
strategy, and we will continue to make aggressive investments in
this field."
Potenza's founders and scientific advisory board include
world-renowned pioneers in cancer immunotherapy including
Drew Pardoll, MD, Ph.D., Abeloff
professor of Oncology, director, Cancer Immunology, The Sidney
Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns
Hopkins; Jedd Wolchok, M.D.,
Ph.D., chief, Melanoma and Immunotherapeutics Service, Memorial
Sloan-Kettering; Ana Anderson,
Ph.D., assistant professor, Center for Neurologic Disease, Brigham
and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical
School; Charles Drake, M.D.,
Ph.D., professor of Oncology, co-director Prostate Cancer
Multi-Disciplinary Clinic; The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer
Center at Johns Hopkins; Vijay Kuchroo,
Ph.D., DVM, professor, Dept. of Neurology, director, Evergrande
Center for Immunologic Diseases, Harvard
Medical School; Dario
Vignali, Ph.D., vice chair & professor of Immunology;
co-leader of the Cancer Immunology Program, University of Pittsburgh.
Previously, Potenza closed a Series A equity financing of
$38 million in December 2014 which was led by founding investor
MPM Capital, with InterWest Partners and Astellas Venture
Management LLC participating.
About Astellas
Astellas is a pharmaceutical company
dedicated to improving the health of people around the world
through provision of innovative and reliable pharmaceuticals. For
more information on Astellas, please visit our website
at www.astellas.us, follow us on Twitter
at www.twitter.com/AstellasUS or like our Facebook page
at www.facebook.com/AstellasUS.
About Potenza Therapeutics, Inc.
Founded in 2014,
Potenza Therapeutics, Inc. is a preclinical-stage biotechnology
company focused on building a portfolio of oncology programs that
utilize the body's own immune system to seek out, recognize and
destroy tumors through a diversity of mechanisms that influence
tumor immunity. Potenza's offices and laboratories are located in
Cambridge, MA.
www.potenzatx.com
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SOURCE Astellas Pharma Inc.
