IASO BIO and Umoja Biopharma Establish a Novel Partnership for Advancing Ex Vivo and In Vivo Cell and Gene Therapies
Thursday, January 04, 2024
IASO Biotherapeutics ("IASO Bio") and Umoja Biopharma, Inc. ("Umoja") have recently announced a strategic collaboration to advance the development and commercialization of innovative cell and gene therapies. Specializing in cell therapies and antibody products, IASO Bio will gain exclusive access to Umoja's rapamycin-activated cytokine receptor (RACR™) platform, a synthetic cytokine receptor technology. This collaboration will focus on the development of two ex vivo induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-bearing cell therapies.
IASO Bio will undertake responsibilities for worldwide product development, manufacturing, regulatory processes, and commercialization for both ex vivo products. In return, Umoja will be granted exclusive rights to CAR cassettes for two targets, enabling the advancement of two in vivo product candidates utilizing VivoVec™, Umoja's proprietary lentiviral in vivo gene delivery technology. Umoja will handle product development, manufacturing, regulatory matters, and commercialization outside of Greater China, while IASO Bio will manage these aspects within the Greater China territory. Both parties will be entitled to customary development and sales milestones as well as royalties related to the collaborations.
The collaboration aims to propel the development of off-the-shelf cell and gene therapies, leveraging innovative scientific advancements with applications in oncology and immunology. Alan Fu, Chief Financial Officer of IASO Bio, expressed excitement about the collaboration, highlighting the potential of combining Umoja's RACR platform with IASO's validated CAR constructs to deliver novel allogeneic treatments globally. Umoja's Chief Operating and Chief Business Officer, David Fontana, PhD, emphasized the shared commitment to making cell therapies more accessible, stating that the collaboration goes beyond traditional approaches to maximize the potential of CAR-T cell therapies. The incorporation of IASO's CARs with Umoja's VivoVec technology holds the promise of expanding the reach of in vivo gene delivery technology into new indications and offering additional options for patients in need.
Source: prnasia.com
