Amgen and Xencor form $1.75bn cancer-drug collaboration

The companies will work together in developing and commercializing novel therapeutics in the fields of cancer immunotherapy and inflammation.

Amgen agreed to pay $45m upfront to license Xencor’s XmAb bispecific technology platform in five preclinical programs intended to treat cancer and inflammatory diseases.

The company will also make $1.7bn in clinical, regulatory and sales milestone payments.

XmAb bispecific Fc domains will be used to make half-life extended T cell engagers and dual targeting bispecific antibodies.

The deal also includes a preclinical bispecific T cell engager program directed at CD38 and CD3 for multiple myeloma.

Amgen executive vice president of research and development Sean Harper said: "We are especially excited about the T cell engaging bispecific antibody directed against CD38, which complements Amgen’s BiTE platform, while growing our hematology and oncology portfolio that includes two bispecific T cell engager antibodies, BLINCYTO (blinatumomab) and AMG 330, as well as Kyprolis (carfilzomib) for relapsed multiple myeloma."

Xencor president and CEO Bassil Dahiyat said: "Xencor will continue to focus on its internal programs including its immuno-oncology XmAb bispecifics, XmAb14045 in acute myeloid leukemia and XmAb13676 in B-cell malignancies, which are expected to enter clinical development in 2016."

Xencor developed XmAb bispecific Fc domain technology to maintain full-length antibody properties in a bispecific antibody, potentially allowing favorable in vivo half-life and simplified manufacturing.

The company’s initial bispecific programs are tumor-targeted antibodies that include a tumor antigen binding domain and a cytotoxic T-cell binding domain (CD3 binding domain).

Image: Amgen headquarters in Thousand Oaks, California. Photo: courtesy of Coolcaesar.