Kite Pharma Inc., National Institutes of Health deal
Kite exercised an option for exclusive, worldwide rights to commercialize IP from NIH related to T cell receptor ( TCR)-based therapies that target cancer/testis antigen 1B ( CTAG1B; NY-ESO-1) to treat NY-ESO-1-expressing cancers. NIH will be eligible for undisclosed clinical, regulatory and sales milestone payments and royalties. Kite gained the option through a cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA) with NIH, under which the partners are developing engineered autologous T cell therapies for multiple cancer indications. Kite declined to disclose further details, and NIH did not respond in time for publication.
NIH's NCI is conducting a Phase II trial of a murine TCR product targeting NY-ESO-1. Under the CRADA, Kite is providing NIH with research funding of $250,000 per quarter. ...