Wednesday, January 31, 2024
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: REGN) has recently revealed the establishment of Regeneron Cell Medicines through a partnership with 2seventy bio, Inc. This collaboration grants Regeneron complete development and commercialization rights to 2seventy bio's pipeline of innovative immune cell therapies, along with its discovery and clinical manufacturing capabilities. Employees from 2seventy bio who are involved in supporting the acquired programs will become part of Regeneron Cell Medicines, a newly established research and development (R&D) unit dedicated to advancing cell therapies and combination approaches in the fields of oncology and immunology.
Regeneron, expressed excitement about the collaboration, emphasizing the potential to address cancer and other serious diseases through the combination of Regeneron's expertise in antibody technologies and emerging genetics capabilities with 2seventy’s cell therapy platforms.
The collaboration between Regeneron and 2seventy bio originated in 2018 when they entered into an agreement with bluebird bio to explore novel cell therapy approaches for cancer treatment. Under the terms of the new agreement, Regeneron will assume full development and commercialization rights to 2seventy bio’s preclinical and clinical stage pipeline, taking over ongoing program, infrastructure, and personnel costs. The transaction includes an upfront payment of $5 million and a milestone payment upon the first major market approval of the initial product. Regeneron will also pay a low single-digit percentage royalty on product revenues.
To fully leverage the potential of these programs and capabilities, Regeneron Cell Medicines has been established to propel the next generation of cell therapies and investigate combinations with Regeneron’s proprietary antibodies and bispecifics. Approximately 150 employees from 2seventy bio will transition to Regeneron, continuing their work on cell therapy programs while remaining based in Cambridge, MA, and Seattle, WA. Dr. Philip Gregory, the Chief Scientific Officer of 2seventy bio, is set to be appointed Senior Vice President and Head of Regeneron Cell Medicines upon the completion of the transaction.
Dr. Gregory expressed optimism about the collaboration, stating, "Being part of Regeneron not only enhances our ability to execute our current portfolio of CAR T and T cell receptor programs but also creates unique opportunities for combining cell-based medicines with antibodies and other Regeneron biologics. We look forward to contributing to an organization with a proven track record of scientific innovation and the resources needed to make Regeneron Cell Medicines a success."
Source: regeneron.com
