NEW YORK – Gilead Sciences and Epicrispr Biotechnologies on Tuesday announced they have inked a partnership to develop next-generation cell therapies, including autologous CAR T-cell therapies for blood cancers.
For its part of the agreement, Epicrispr Biotechnologies, known as Epic Bio, will develop CAR T-cell therapy constructs designed against targets selected by Gilead subsidiary Kite. Kite will license Epic Bio's gene regulation platform and use it to modulate genes to improve CAR T-cell therapies.
Under the terms of the agreement, Kite will make an undisclosed upfront payment to Epic Bio as well as performance-based development, regulatory, and sales milestone payments and tiered royalties should any of the products developed under the collaboration net regulatory approval.
Epic Bio's platform, which it calls its gene expression modulation system, or GEMS, involves in vivo delivery of a single AAV vector, allowing for a CRISPR machinery without cutting DNA.
"[The approach] may also enable next-generation cell therapies to reach a wide range of patient populations," Epic Bio CEO Amber Salzman said in a statement. "We look forward to applying our expertise in gene modulation to help advance CAR T-cell therapies."