Atara gains on licensing agreement with MSKCC

Atara Biotherapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ:ATRA) gained $8.19 (17%) to $56.19 after exercising its exclusive, worldwide option to develop and commercialize three allogeneic T cell therapy programs from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

The programs include EBV-CTL, which consists of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes and is in Phase II testing; a therapy consisting of T cells against cytomegalovirus that is in Phase II; and a therapy consisting of T cells against Wilms tumor 1 ( WT1) that is in Phase I. In March, FDA granted EBV-CTL breakthrough designation to treat rituximab-refractory EBV-associated lymphoproliferative disease (see BioCentury Extra, March 2). ...