Dren Bio and Novartis Partner to Develop New Cancer Therapies

Dren Bio, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, has established a strategic collaboration with Novartis Pharma AG, a subsidiary of Novartis AG. This collaboration aims to advance the discovery and development of bispecific antibody therapies for cancer, leveraging Dren Bio's unique Targeted Myeloid Engager and Phagocytosis Platform.

Shiva Malek, Ph.D., Global Head of Oncology for Biomedical Research at Novartis, highlighted the significance of this partnership, emphasizing the potential to uncover new bispecific antibody therapies for cancer. He noted that this collaboration aligns well with Novartis's extensive experience in immuno-oncology, as well as its ongoing efforts across various therapeutic modalities, including targeted therapies, biologics, radioligand treatments, and CAR-T therapies.

Nenad Tomasevic, Ph.D., CEO of Dren Bio, expressed enthusiasm for the collaboration, citing Novartis's leadership in oncology. He believes that combining Novartis's expertise in oncology drug development with Dren Bio's innovative platform could lead to significant advancements in cancer treatment.

Amit Mehta, Ph.D., COO and Chief Business Officer of Dren Bio, added that their Targeted Myeloid Engager and Phagocytosis Platform is designed to deplete disease-causing agents effectively. He underscored the platform's potential through Novartis's proven track record in developing new medicines, which could expand the platform's reach.

As part of the agreement, Dren Bio will receive an upfront payment of $150 million from Novartis, which includes a $25 million equity investment. Additionally, Dren Bio could earn up to $2.85 billion in further payments based on achieving specific preclinical, clinical, regulatory, and commercial milestones. The deal also includes tiered royalties on future net sales of any products resulting from the collaboration. The two companies will jointly advance selected targeted myeloid engager programs in oncology through the clinical candidate selection phase. After this point, Novartis will take full control of the development, manufacturing, regulatory processes, and commercialization activities.

The agreement is contingent upon the standard closing conditions, including regulatory approval.

Dren Bio is a privately held biopharma company focused on developing novel antibody therapies for cancer, autoimmune diseases, and other serious conditions. Its lead product candidate, DR-01, is an antibody therapeutic designed to selectively deplete terminally differentiated cytotoxic cells, such as autoreactive CD8 T cells, which play a pathogenic role in various cancers and autoimmune diseases. DR-01 is currently undergoing a Phase 2 study for cytotoxic lymphomas and is being tested for additional autoimmune indications.

Further, Dren Bio's Targeted Myeloid Engager and Phagocytosis Platform employs bispecific antibodies to induce the depletion of pathogenic cells and other disease-causing agents. This technology activates myeloid cells in the presence of target antigens, potentially offering higher therapeutic indexes and superior safety profiles compared to other therapeutic modalities. The platform's lead program, DR-0201, targets both tissue-resident and trafficking myeloid cells for deep B cell depletion through targeted phagocytosis. DR-0201 has shown a favorable safety profile in preclinical trials and is currently in a Phase 1 study for B-NHL patients.

Dren Bio's clinical programs aim to achieve an immune reset in multiple autoimmune diseases by depleting pathogenic B cells with DR-0201 and selectively targeting autoreactive T cells with DR-01. The company's preclinical pipeline includes several bispecific antibodies targeting oncology, immunology, and neurology.