Pieris inks US$1.2bn immuno-oncology deal with Seattle Genetics

The partnership aims at combining Pieris’ anticalin platform with Seattle Genetics’ monoclonal antibodies portfolio to treat solid tumours and blood cancers. Under the agreement, Seattle Genetics will have the option to bring up to three bispecific candidates into clinical development. Pieris has the option for co-development and co-commercialisation of one programme in the US market sharing development costs and profits 1: 1. Seattle Genetics will fund the other programmes' development.

The partners didn’t mention indications or specific targets but said, they will develop candidates using Pieris' Anticalin platform, which includes agonistic costimulatory proteins, and Seattle Genetics' portfolio of cancer targets and tumour-specific mAbs. Pieris cashed in US$30m upfront and is eglible to receive further US$1.2bn in milestones plus a low double-digit share from potential future net sales.

Anticalins are protein therapeutics that are significantly smaller than antibodies. The latest generation is able to compete with antibodies in terms of affinity, specificity and folding stability. Last year, Pieris and drugmaker AstraZeneca launched a US$2.1bn license deal for anticalin respiratory therapeutics. In the field of immuno-oncology, the anticalin specialist collaborates with French Servier aimed at developing bispecific molecules.

Pieris' most advanced immuno-oncology programme is not part of the agreement. PRS-343 combines a CD137-specific anticalin with an antibody directed against HER2 to a bispecific molecule. The candidate is scheduled for October 2017 in Phase I clinical trials.

Pieris and Seattle have already pre-selected several antibody-anticalin fusion bi-specifics from which Seattle Genetics will select the clinical candidates.