Benzinga | Sep 17, 2020 07:08AM EDT

Precision BioSciences And Servier Expand CAR T Oncology Development Collaboration, Announce Four New Programs Targeting Hematological And Solid Tumors

DURHAM, N.C. and PARIS, Sept. 17, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Precision BioSciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:DTIL), a clinical stage biotechnology developing allogeneic CAR T and in vivo gene correction therapies with its ARCUS(r) genome editing platform, in collaboration with Servier, an independent global pharmaceutical company, today announced the companies have added two additional hematological cancer targets beyond CD19 and two solid tumor targets to its CAR T development and commercial license agreement.



"The addition of these new targets will build on the productive multi-year collaboration between Precision and Servier that is driving the development of PBCAR0191, our lead allogeneic CAR T candidate targeting CD19," said Matt Kane, CEO and Co-Founder of Precision BioSciences. "We are pleased to expand our collaboration with Servier and apply our proprietary single-step cell engineering and unique allogeneic CAR T manufacturing and development strategies to potentially extend the reach of 'off-the-shelf' CAR T therapies beyond hematological cancers and into solid tumors."

Under the terms of the existing development and commercial license agreement between Servier and Precision, Servier has selected two hematological and two solid tumor targets beyond those already in Precision's allogeneic CAR T pipeline. Precision intends to leverage its proprietary ARCUS genome editing platform and CAR T development and manufacturing expertise for early-stage research and development activities, including Investigational New Drug (IND) filing through the manufacturing of initial clinical trial material for a Phase 2 study. Servier has the right to opt in for late-stage development and commercialization, and Precision has the right to participate in the development and commercialization of any licensed products resulting from the collaboration through a 50/50 co-development and co-promotion option in the United States. With the addition of these new targets, Precision expects to receive milestone payments in 2020 and 2021. Precision is also eligible for option fees, clinical, regulatory, and sales milestones in addition to royalties on product sales.

"At Servier, we partner for a purpose -- our patients. We are pleased to add four additional targets beyond CD19 to our collaboration with Precision BioSciences as part of our commitment to oncology," said Patrick Therasse, Deputy Head of global RD oncology at Servier. "We look forward to utilizing their ARCUS genome editing platform with these new targets to potentially develop several innovative allogeneic CAR T therapies for patients with a range of solid and hematological malignancies."