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US-based AbelZeta Pharma, Inc., a global clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of innovative and proprietary cell-based therapeutic products, has announced that AstraZeneca has agreed to acquire AbelZeta's 50% share of the China development and commercialisation rights to C-CAR031, such that AstraZeneca acquires the sole right to develop, manufacture and commercialise C-CAR031 globally.
Under the terms of the agreement, AbelZeta will be entitled to receive up to $630 million from AstraZeneca including an upfront payment, and development, regulatory and sales milestone payments for the GPC3 programme in China.
Under the terms of a prior agreement with AbelZeta, AstraZeneca owns the development, manufacturing and commercialisation rights to C-CAR031 in rest of world, outside of China. AbelZeta is also eligible to receive additional milestone payments and royalties for rest of world development.
C-CAR031 is an autologous, Glypican 3 (GPC3)-targeting chimeric antigen receptor T-Cell (CAR-T) therapy, designed using AstraZeneca's dominant negative transforming growth factor-beta receptor II armoring platform, and is currently being investigated for the treatment of HCC and other solid tumours.
