Astellas Signs Second CAR-T Deal with Poseida for 'Convertible' Cancer Therapies

Astellas Pharma has recently entered a significant collaboration and licensing agreement with Poseida Therapeutics to advance the development of novel CAR-T therapies targeted at solid tumors. This agreement involves an initial payment of $50 million from Astellas, with potential additional payments reaching up to $550 million based on developmental milestones, sales, and other contingencies. Besides these payments, Poseida stands to receive tiered royalties on net sales in the low-double digits. The transaction is set to be managed through Astellas’ subsidiary, Xyphos Biosciences.

This collaboration aims to merge the innovative cell therapy platforms from both companies. Poseida will bring its proprietary allogeneic CAR-T platform to the table, while Xyphos will contribute with its advanced ACCEL and convertibleCAR technologies. The joint effort will focus on developing a single CAR-T construct that will produce two convertibleCAR product candidates specifically aimed at treating solid tumors.

Under the terms of the agreement, Xyphos will be responsible for reimbursing Poseida for costs incurred and will also take the helm in research and development activities, as well as the future commercialization of any products resulting from this partnership.

Xyphos' convertibleCAR technology is designed to be a versatile cell therapy solution. It utilizes a modified NKG2D protein, a human receptor typically found on natural killer cells and some T-cells. This modified protein aids in immune surveillance and can be controlled and activated by engineered molecules like bispecific antibodies that recognize tumor cell binding sites. This mechanism helps in bringing tumor cells in close proximity to activated immune cells, thereby facilitating their destruction.

Moreover, the convertibleCAR construct's versatility is enhanced by attaching different functional moieties, enabling the targeting of various antigens. This capability is particularly important for therapies aimed at tumor cells that have mutated to evade the immune system.

Adam Pearson, Astellas' chief strategy officer, expressed optimism about the collaboration, highlighting the synergies between the two companies' pioneering research efforts. He emphasized that this partnership will not only expand Astellas' portfolio but also expedite the delivery of innovative CAR-T cell therapies to cancer patients.

This recent announcement builds upon a previous agreement between Astellas and Poseida, signed in August 2023, which was aimed at supporting Poseida's initiatives in cancer cell therapeutics. At that time, Astellas invested $50 million in Poseida, with half of the investment used to acquire an 8.8% stake in Poseida, and the other half securing exclusive negotiation and first refusal rights to license Poseida's clinical-stage CAR-T program P-MUC1C-ALLO1 for solid tumors.