TxCell licenses CAR-T tech

Just a week ago, the European Patent Office granted a patent covering all redirected, genetically engineered T regulatory (CAR-Treg) cells and their use in the suppression of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases to the Yeda Research and Development Company Ltd. (EP 2126054). As a result, French biotech TxCell has exercised its option for an exclusive worldwide licensing agreement with Yeda, the technology transfer arm of the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel. TxCell has now been granted exclusive worldwide rights to develop and commercialise CAR-Treg products for the treatment of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.  

Weizmann researcher Zelig Eshhar, recently appointed chair of TxCell’s Scientific Advisory Board, was the first scientist to demonstrate the therapeutic potential of CAR-Treg cells in models of inflammation. These cells are widely considered a promising approach toward the treatment of various diseases. The CAR-Treg field holds significant promise for the treatment of autoimmune and inflammatory disorders, said TxCell CEO Stéphane Boissel.  Obtaining the exclusive license for the first global patent family covering the use of CAR-Tregs for the treatment of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases will be key in maintaining TxCell’s lead position in this field. 

Financial terms of the option and of the license agreement were not disclosed.