AstraZeneca and Cellectis, a clinical-stage biotechnology firm today announced an investment and collaboration agreement to expedite the development of new generation therapies in high unmet need areas such as immunology, rare diseases, and oncology.
As per the terms of the collaboration agreement, AstraZeneca will boost its expanding portfolio in this field by designing novel cell and gene therapy products by utilising Cellectis’ patented gene editing technology and manufacturing capabilities. Under the terms of the deal, AstraZeneca has been granted exclusive access to 25 genetic targets, from which up to 10 potential medications may be developed.Â
Building on AstraZeneca’s own expertise in cell and genomic therapy, the Company has enhanced its capabilities through several collaborations and investments in the past year as part of its ambition to bring cell therapies to more patients living with cancer and to advance genomic medicines for rare diseases.
AstraZeneca has agreed to pay Cellectis an initial payment of $105 million in Q4 2023. This payment consists of a $80 million equity investment and a $25 million advance cash payment made as part of a research cooperation agreement.
As part of the research collaboration, Cellectis is also qualified to receive tiered royalties, an investigational new drug (IND) option fee, and milestone payments related to development, regulatory affairs, and sales for each of the 10 candidate medicines. These payments potentially range from $70 million to $220 million.
Prior to filing an IND, AstraZeneca has the opportunity to exercise a worldwide exclusive licence for the candidate products produced under the research partnership agreement.
