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news.ImmunoGen has granted Germany's Biotest AG exclusive rights to use its tumor-activated prodrug technology with antibodies targeting an undisclosed target to develop novel therapeutics for the treatment of multiple myeloma and other cancers.
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Under the agreement, ImmunoGen will receive a $1 million upfront payment, up to $35.5 million in potential milestone payments, and royalties on the sales of any resulting products.
At specific stages during the clinical evaluation of any compound created under this agreement, ImmunoGen can elect to participate in the US development and commercialization of that compound.
A tumor-activated prodrug, or TAP, compound consists of a tumor-targeting antibody with a potent cell-killing agent attached. The antibody component is designed to bind to a target found on cancer cells and serves to deliver the TAP compound specifically to these cells. Once a TAP compound has bound to and entered the cell, the attached cell-killing agent is able to kill the cancer cell.
“In conjunction with ImmunoGen’s TAP technology, our BT-062 antibody, with its specific efficacy mechanism and target accuracy, could represent a cancer treatment with enormous potential. We can now exploit this potential internationally,” said Professor Gregor Schulz, chairman of the board of Biotest.
ImmunoGen develops its own TAP compounds and also outlicenses its TAP technology to other companies for use with their proprietary antibodies.