AsianScientist (Jun 4, 2014) – MacroGenics Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on monoclonal antibody-based therapeutics, and Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited have entered into an option agreement for the development and commercialization of MGD010.
This product candidate incorporates MacroGenics’ proprietary platform for Dual-Affinity Re-Targeting (DART®) to simultaneously engage CD32B and CD79B, which are two B-cell surface proteins. MGD010 is currently in pre-clinical development for the treatment of autoimmune diseases.
“We are very pleased to be collaborating with MacroGenics, given the company’s expertise in exploring ways to harness the power of the immune system to treat complex, difficult diseases, including autoimmune disorders. We believe bi-specific antibodies are an important new frontier in medicine that may unlock additional therapeutic options for patients in the future,” said Tetsuyuki Maruyama, Ph.D., General Manager of the Pharmaceutical Research Division at Takeda.
Currently approved B-cell-targeted therapies either cause depletion of B cells, thus limiting their applicability due to the potential for infections, or exhibit a delayed onset of action and limited efficacy across patient populations. By simultaneously targeting CD32B and CD79B, it is hoped that MGD010 can modulate the function of B cells without depleting them.
In normal conditions, B cells utilize CD32B as one of the key negative regulators to ensure that tolerance to self is maintained and autoimmune disease does not occur. MGD010 exploits this mechanism and triggers this inhibitory “immune checkpoint” loop. MacroGenics believes this molecule preferentially blocks those B cells that are activated to produce the pathogenic antibodies that promote the autoimmune process.
Studies in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patient B cells and humanized mouse models have demonstrated that MGD010 can block B cell activation in the absence of B cell depletion. To advance this program to the clinic, MacroGenics completed studies in a non-human primate model with MGD010 demonstrating a favorable safety profile and pharmacological effects on targeted B cells.
Under the terms of the agreement, MacroGenics will receive an upfront payment of US$15 million and Takeda receives an option to obtain an exclusive worldwide license for MGD010 following the completion of a pre-defined Phase Ia study. MacroGenics will lead all product development activities until that time. If Takeda exercises its option, it will assume responsibility for future development and pay MacroGenics an option exercise fee which, when combined with the upfront payment and an early development milestone, will total US$33 million.
Assuming successful development and commercialization of MGD010, MacroGenics could receive up to an additional US$468.5 million in clinical, regulatory and commercialization milestone payments. If commercialized, MacroGenics would receive double-digit royalties on any global net sales and has the option to co-promote MGD010 with Takeda in the United States. Finally, MacroGenics may elect to fund a portion of Phase III clinical development in exchange for a North American profit share.
“This partnership represents our fifth DART collaboration and MGD010 represents the first autoimmune DART program planned for clinical development,” said Scott Koenig, M.D., Ph.D., President and CEO of MacroGenics. “This collaboration will enable us to further broaden and accelerate our pipeline of innovative DART-based product candidates.”
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Source: Takeda; Photo: NIAID/Flickr/CC.
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