Kite and Teneobio will Collaborate on Next-Generation Dual-Targeting CAR T Therapies in Multiple Myeloma Utilizing UniAb® Antibodies

Santa Monica, CA and Newark, CA (Press Release) – Kite, a Gilead Com­pany (Nasdaq: GILD), and Teneobio, Inc. announced the com­pa­nies have entered into a license and col­lab­o­ration agree­ment through which Kite will re­ceive ex­clu­sive rights to cer­tain anti­bodies directed to B-cell maturation an­ti­gen (BCMA). The fully human variable heavy chain of one such anti­body is cur­rent undergoing clin­i­cal evaluation in a chi­meric an­ti­gen re­cep­tor (CAR) format for the treat­ment of patients with multiple myeloma in a Phase 1 clin­i­cal trial at the National Cancer Institute. Kite and Teneobio will also col­lab­o­rate on the discovery of anti­bodies directed to four addi­tional targets, using Teneobio’s pro­pri­e­tary Human Heavy-Chain Antibodies (UniAb®) plat­form, to be used in CAR T cell ther­a­pies for multiple myeloma and other cancers.

CARs traditionally uti­lize an an­ti­gen-recognition domain made up of a single chain variable fragment (scFv). The binding domain derived from Teneobio’s BCMA anti­body has key poten­tial benefits, in­clud­ing minimal poten­tial for immuno­gen­icity due to its lack of murine elements, and its small size, which may allow for the creation of dual-targeting CAR T ther­a­pies.

“Kite is com­mit­ted to pursuing novel CAR T ther­a­pies that have the poten­tial to be meaningfully dif­fer­en­ti­ated treat­ment options for people living with multiple myeloma,” said Peter Emtage, PhD, Senior Vice Pres­i­dent of Research at Kite. “Based on en­cour­ag­ing early clin­i­cal signals and unique attributes of the binding domain from Teneobio, this exciting col­lab­o­ration will be central to our strat­e­gy of devel­op­ing next-generation CAR T ther­a­pies with the poten­tial to over­come the tumor microenvironment.”

“We are pleased that Kite, a leader in cell ther­apy, has recog­nized the poten­tial of Teneobio’s UniAb® plat­form to enable dif­fer­en­ti­ated CAR T cell ther­a­pies in treating multiple myeloma and other cancers,” said Roland Buelow, PhD, CEO of Teneobio. “We look for­ward to work­ing with Kite to ad­vance our uniquely dif­fer­en­ti­ated cancer-targeting UniAbs® on behalf of patients in need of novel ther­a­pies.”

Under the terms of the agree­ment, Teneobio will re­ceive an up­front pay­ment and will be eli­gible to re­ceive addi­tional pay­ments based on achieve­ment of cer­tain clin­i­cal and regu­la­tory mile­stones, as well as royalties on future poten­tial sales.

The Anti-BCMA CAR T cell ther­apy using Teneobio’s UniAb® plat­form is inves­ti­ga­tional and not yet approved by any regu­la­tory authority. Its efficacy and safety have not been estab­lish­ed.

About Teneobio, Inc.

Teneobio, Inc. is a clin­i­cal stage bio­technology com­pany devel­op­ing a new class of biologics, Human Heavy-Chain Antibodies (UniAb®), for the treat­ments of cancer, autoimmunity, and infectious dis­eases. Teneobio’s discovery plat­form, TeneoSeek, com­prises ge­net­ic­ally engi­neered animals (UniRat® and OmniFlic®), next-generation sequencing, bioinformatics and high-throughput vector assembly tech­nolo­gies. TeneoSeek rapidly identifies large numbers of unique binding molecules spe­cif­ic for thera­peutic targets of interest. Versatile anti­body variable domains (UniDab®) derived from UniAb® can be assembled into multi-specific and multivalent thera­peutic proteins, surpassing lim­i­ta­tions of con­ven­tional anti­body thera­peutics. Teneobio’s “plug-and-play” T-cell engaging plat­form in­cludes a diverse set of anti-CD3 anti­bodies for thera­peutics with optimal efficacy and reduced toxicity. The com­pany has re­ceived funding from in­sti­tu­tional in­vestors, in­clud­ing Lightspeed Venture Partners and Sutter Hill Ventures.

About Kite

Kite, a Gilead Com­pany, is a bio­pharma­ceu­tical com­pany based in Santa Monica, California. Kite is engaged in the de­vel­op­ment of inno­va­tive cancer immuno­therapies. The com­pany is focused on chi­meric an­ti­gen re­cep­tor and T cell re­cep­tor engi­neered cell ther­a­pies. For more in­for­ma­tion on Kite, please visit www.kitepharma.com.

About Gilead Sciences

Gilead Sciences, Inc. is a re­search-based bio­pharma­ceu­tical com­pany that discovers, de­vel­ops and com­mer­cial­izes inno­va­tive med­i­cines in areas of unmet medical need. The com­pany strives to trans­form and simplify care for people with life-threatening illnesses around the world. Gilead has op­er­a­tions in more than 35 countries world­wide, with headquarters in Foster City, California. For more in­for­ma­tion on Gilead Sciences, please visit the com­pany’s website at www.gilead.com.

Gilead and Kite Forward-Looking Statements

This press release in­cludes for­ward-looking state­ments, within the meaning of the Private Se­cu­ri­ties Lit­i­ga­tion Reform Act of 1995 that are subject to risks, un­cer­tainties and other factors, in­clud­ing the risk that Gilead and Kite may not realize the poten­tial benefits of this in-licensing or col­lab­o­ration with Teneobio or other investments in cell ther­apy. All state­ments other than state­ments of historical fact are state­ments that could be deemed for­ward-looking state­ments. These risks, un­cer­tainties and other factors could cause actual results to differ ma­teri­ally from those referred to in the for­ward-looking state­ments. The reader is cautioned not to rely on these for­ward-looking state­ments. These and other risks are described in detail in Gilead’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended De­cem­ber 31, 2019, as filed with the U.S. Se­cu­ri­ties and Ex­change Com­mis­sion. All for­ward-looking state­ments are based on in­for­ma­tion cur­rent avail­able to Gilead and Kite, and Gilead and Kite assume no obli­ga­tion to update any such for­ward-looking state­ments.

Source: Kite and Teneobio.