Oncternal Therapeutics secures worldwide license to ROR1 antibody from UC San Diego

The licensing agreement also encompasses rights for all therapeutic indications to cirmtuzumab, an anti-ROR1 monoclonal antibody that is currently in a clinical trial for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), as well as rights to develop antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), genetically modified effector immune cells, such as chimeric antigen receptor T-cells (CAR-T), and bispecific antibodies.

The formation of Oncternal Therapeutics is based upon the pioneering research of UC San Diego scientist and clinician, Thomas J. Kipps, M.D. Ph.D., Evelyn and Edwin Tasch Chair in Cancer Research, Distinguished Professor UC San Diego, and Deputy Director, Research Operations, Moores Cancer Center. As one of the most wide-ranging licensing transactions executed by UC San Diego’s Office of Innovation and Commercialization, the agreement includes upfront and milestone payments, research funding for the Kipps laboratory, clinical support, product royalties, and an equity position in Oncternal. Specific financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

"We are delighted to complete this agreement with Oncternal Therapeutics, as it furthers our goal of developing effective therapies for patients with any one of a number of types of cancer, including leukemia and lymphoma, as well as solid tumors, such as ovarian or breast cancer," said Dr. Kipps.

"We are very pleased to see our discovery, research and early clinical development program trigger the formation of a new biotechnology company in San Diego led by an experienced leadership team."

"The scientific work done by Dr. Kipps and his colleagues has been extraordinary and holds great promise to generate a new wave of first-in-class, targeted cancer therapies," said David F. Hale, Chairman of Oncternal Therapeutics.

"We are excited to build a world-class company focused on the development of these promising ROR1 programs, which feature novel science and a strong intellectual property portfolio that we plan to enhance in the future. We look forward to rapidly advancing cirmtuzumab into additional clinical trials and bringing forward novel therapeutics for the treatment of patients with these devastating diseases."

The anti-ROR1 monoclonal antibody, cirmtuzumab, was developed at UC San Diego by Dr. Kipps, with funding from the US National Institutes of Health, the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), and the Blood Cancer Research Fund. Cirmtuzumab is currently being tested in a phase 1 clinical trial for patients with relapsed/refractory CLL. Studies have shown that ROR1 is expressed by a number of hematologic malignancies as well as by a number of solid tumors.

"Creating a treatment that will help patients is not just a matter of good scientific work, it’s also a matter of good business planning and leadership. This agreement brings those two elements together," says C. Randal Mills, President and CEO of CIRM.

"We are hopeful this alliance will help accelerate the progress of Dr. Kipps research, and we congratulate him and his team at UC San Diego."

Oncternal will also continue development of several preclinical development programs initiated by UC San Diego, including potential ROR1-directed ADCs, with early evidence of promising anti-tumor efficacy and specificity, and several potential CAR-T vectors, which can be introduced into a cancer patient’s T-cells, enabling the cells to recognize and kill tumor cells that express ROR1. Oncternal Therapeutics intends to continue the development of the CAR-T program in collaboration with the Moores Cancer Center.

"One of our missions as a public university is to translate our research into public benefit," said Paul Roben, Associate Vice Chancellor for Innovation at UC San Diego. "This successful collaboration exemplifies that commitment to social responsibility."