Aduro Biotech, BioSante deal

Aduro said it acquired all assets related to BioSante's GVAX cancer vaccines, including IP and cell lines, for $1 million up front and undisclosed milestones plus royalties. Aduro, which already has rights to GVAX vaccines to treat pancreatic and prostate cancer, will gain rights to additional vaccines for multiple myeloma, breast and colon cancer. The GVAX pancreas cancer vaccine is in Phase II testing in combination with Aduro's CRS-207, a live attenuated strain of Listeria monocytogenes that expresses human mesothelin. Aduro will also assume rights to BioSante's existing license agreement for GVAX melanoma vaccine with the John P. Hussman Foundation (Ellicott City, Md.). Aduro plans to combine the GVAX vaccines with its cyclic dinucleotides (CDNs), which are small molecules secreted by L. monocytogenes, into a new vaccine called STINGVAX. The companies could not be reached for details (see BioCentury, April 25, 2011; July 25, 2011 & Dec. 17, 2012). ...