BioCentury
ARTICLE | Company News

Ariad, Bellicum deal

October 13, 2014 7:00 AM UTC

Ariad and Bellicum amended a 2006 deal granting Bellicum rights to use Ariad's cell-signaling technology. Under the amendment, Bellicum will pay Ariad $50 million in exchange for an exclusive, worldwide license to use the technology in human cell therapies for all diseases on a royalty- and milestone-free basis. Ariad also is returning its equity stake in Bellicum as part of the amendment.

Bellicum will pay the $50 million in three installments: $15 million upon signing of the agreement; $20 million by June 30, 2015; and $15 million no later than June 30, 2016. Ariad said the deal provides "substantial" non-dilutive funding for its computational and structural programs for designing small molecules to overcome drug resistance in cancer. Both of Bellicum's clinical programs use Ariad's AP1903, which is a compound that induces the dimerization of genetically engineered receptors expressed by Bellicum's cell-based products to trigger effects that can include stimulating apoptosis or activating immune cells. Bellicum's BPX-501 is in Phase I/II testing to treat hematologic malignancies and graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) in hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) patients. The company's BPX-201 autologous dendritic cell therapy is in a Phase I trial to treat metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). ...