The deal is said to leverage TScan’s advanced platform to discover novel cancer antigens, which are expected to be targeted by TCR-based therapies.
TScan chief scientific officer Gavin MacBeath said: “Novartis is a proven leader in the area of T cell therapy, and this collaboration helps us move rapidly and effectively toward our goal of delivering life-changing therapies to patients.”
According to the deal, TScan will secure $30m from Novartis as an upfront technology access fee. The deal is also comprised of potential milestone payments based on the achievement of certain clinical, regulatory and sales milestones that could total hundreds of millions of dollars.
As per terms of the deal, TScan will detect and characterise TCRs, while Novartis is provided with an option to licence and develop TCRs for up to three novel targets.
Swiss pharmaceutical firm Novartis will also be provided with an option to negotiate for additional targets and TCRs, which could result from the deal.
TScan is also eligible to secure from Novartis mid-single to low double-digit royalties on net sales for each product. The company is also free from restrictions to develop TCRs against targets not licenced by Novartis.
TScan president and CEO David Southwell said: “As one of the only companies able to efficiently discover novel cancer antigens that can be targeted with TCR-based therapies, we are delighted to be collaborating with Novartis to develop important TCR treatments.
“We see expansive potential for our platform and this collaboration gives us the opportunity to work with Novartis to develop novel TCR therapies, while at the same time preserving our ability to develop our own proprietary pipeline in both liquid and solid tumours.”
Recently, Novartis has unveiled plans to commence a clinical trial of Jakavi (ruxolitinib) in severe COVID-19 patients and establish an international compassionate use programme.