Crossbow Therapeutics, Inc.

Pictured: Gilead sign and building in Silicon Valley/iStock, Sundry Photography Gilead Sciences is partnering with Netherlands-based clinical-stage oncology biotech Merus to find new dual tumor-associated antigens targeting tri-specific antibodies, the companies announced Wednesday. Under the deal, Merus will receive an upfront payment of $56 million for initial targets as well as an equity investment from Gilead of $25 million in Merus common shares. Merus has the potential to receive up to $1.5 billion in additional payments based on potential development and commercialization milestones. The research collaboration, option, and licensing agreement will leverage Merus’s proprietary platform. According to the company, the platform can design antibodies capable of binding to three targets simultaneously. “We have seen the successful application of bispecific antibodies as an immune-modulating modality used to treat cancer. We are now looking ahead to developing additional multispecific antibodies capable of driving robust anti-tumor immune responses with an improved efficacy and safety profile,” Flavius Martin, executive vice president of Research at Gilead, said in a statement. “We are excited to explore the potential of Merus’ differentiated Triclonics platform to discover and advance transformative new cancer therapies as we deepen our portfolio across oncology indications.” The move comes as Gilead has been on a dealmaking path in 2024. In February, the Bay Area-based biotech announced a $4.3 billion acquisition of CymaBay Therapeutics, snapping up its lead candidate seladelpar which designed to treat the autoimmune disease primary biliary cholangitis. “We are looking forward to working with Gilead to develop novel T-cell engager antibodies using our Triclonics technology,” Merus Chief Business Officer Hui Liu said in a statement. “We are grateful for our collaborations which represent opportunities for Merus to leverage our research capabilities to pursue innovative biology and to address significant unmet medical needs. Importantly, this collaboration represents the first for our proprietary Triclonics platform.” The collaboration will see some competition as it looks to target the T-cell engager space. Amgen announced in October 2023 that its bispecific T-cell engager showed positive Phase II results. The tarlatamab drug was investigated in patients with small cell lung cancer with advanced disease and, had an objective response rate of 40% and hit the primary endpoint. Median progression-free survival was under five months while the median overall survival was 14.3 months. In related news, Crossbow Therapeutics announced Tuesday that it has nominated its first development candidate, a T-cell engager. Tyler Patchen is a staff writer at BioSpace. You can reach him at tyler.patchen@biospace.com. Follow him on LinkedIn.

CBX-250 is a first-in-class, potent, and specific T-cell engager for the treatment of myeloid leukemia Abstract summarizing preclinical characteristics of CBX-250 selected for an oral presentation at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) 2024 Annual Meeting Novel T-Bolt™ therapy being developed in strategic collaboration with MD Anderson CAMBRIDGE, Mass., March 05, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Crossbow Therapeutics, Inc., a biotechnology company focused on advancing T-Bolt™ therapies, a novel class of antibody therapeutics that mimic T-cell receptors (TCR-mimetics), today announced the nomination of its first development candidate, CBX-250, a first-in-class, potent, and specific T-cell engager (TCE) for the treatment of myeloid leukemia. Researchers from Crossbow and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center will present an abstract describing preclinical characteristics of CBX-250 at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) 2024 Annual Meeting in San Diego, Calif., which takes place April 5-10, 2024. The oral presentation will provide an overview of the preclinical characteristics of CBX-250, which targets a cathepsin G (CTSG) peptide-human leukocyte antigen (pHLA) complex. The complex is abundantly expressed on leukemic cells, but not on normal cells, allowing CBX-250 to target cancer cells efficiently while sparing normal myeloid cells. CBX-250 may offer an enhanced therapeutic window compared with TCEs that have shown limited clinical benefit in the treatment of myeloid malignancies, due to the lack of tumor-specific surface antigens. “Nominating CBX-250 as a development candidate validates our initial scientific hypothesis, and it brings us a step closer to entering the clinic and ultimately helping to cure cancer,” said Briggs Morrison, Chief Executive Officer of Crossbow. “We have selected a promising therapeutic that is highly accurate and potent in preclinical models. We’re pleased to collaborate with the team at MD Anderson and look forward to continuing to advance CBX-250 to the clinic.” The discovery and preclinical development of CBX-250 are the results of an ongoing strategic collaboration between Crossbow and MD Anderson. Gheath Alatrash, DO, PhD, and Jeffrey Molldrem, MD, led the discovery and validation of the CTSG-derived peptide, known as CG1, via functional studies with CG1-specific T cells and via mass spectrometry through interrogation of patient samples. Working with MD Anderson’s ORBIT platform, a core component of the institution’s Therapeutics Discovery division, Dr. Molldrem led the development of a TCR-mimetic binder to the CG1 pHLA complex, which Crossbow licensed for the development of off-the-shelf cancer immunotherapies. The team at Crossbow further enhanced the developability of the precursor molecule, incorporated it into an optimized TCE format, and carefully verified the construct’s potency, specificity, and manufacturability. “We are proud of our work with Crossbow on the CBX-250 development program, which represents a true collaboration between two innovative teams,” commented Jeffrey Molldrem, MD, Chair of Hematopoietic Biology and Malignancy and leader within Therapeutics Discovery at MD Anderson. “Through our strategic collaboration, we are working to advance CBX-250 rapidly into the clinic, and we hope to see these promising preclinical findings translated into a therapy that will positively impact the lives of patients.” CBX-250 is the first candidate in Crossbow’s portfolio of novel investigative therapies that target intracellular cancer antigens using TCR-mimetics. The upcoming AACR presentation will focus on the potency, specificity, and safety of CBX-250 in targeting leukemic myeloid cells versus normal tissues, as demonstrated preclinically both in vitro and in vivo. “The emergent field of TCR-mimetic antibody-based therapies is full of untapped therapeutic potential, with no approved drugs to date,” said Dmitri Wiederschain, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer of Crossbow. “Nominating CBX-250 as our first development candidate, based on our rigorous selection criteria, puts us at the forefront of an important opportunity to broaden the benefits of immunotherapy for those living with cancer and to target the entire universe of cancer antigens.” AACR 2024 Annual Meeting presentation details Title: Characterization of CBX-250, a first-in-class TCR-mimetic-based T-cell engager targeting a cathepsin G peptide-HLA complex for the treatment of myeloid leukemia (abstract #1236)Presenting Author: Geraldine Paulus, PhDSession Title: Tumor-Targeted Immune Cell EngagersSession Date/Time/Location: Sunday Apr. 7, 2024, 3:00PM-5:00PM PDT, San Diego Convention Center For more information on the abstract, the full text is available at https://www.abstractsonline.com/pp8/#!/20272/presentation/5708. About Crossbow Therapeutics, Inc. Crossbow Therapeutics, Inc., is a biotechnology company determined to improve the lives of people with cancer by unlocking the therapeutic potential of T-cell receptor (TCR)-mimetic antibodies. The company’s T-Bolt™ therapies are next-generation, easily assembled immunotherapies directed with high precision at previously unreachable cancer cell targets. Crossbow’s efficient and selective approach is designed to target the entire universe of cancer proteins, dramatically expanding the potential of antibody therapy to address many types of cancer. For more information about Crossbow Therapeutics, visit www.crossbowtx.com. Investor Contact:Crossbow Therapeutics, Inc.Geraldine Paulus, Co-Founder, Head of Corporate Development and OperationsGeraldine.paulus@crossbowtx.com Media Contact:SmithSolveCorey Carmichael(862) 260-7929Corey.carmichael@smithsolve.com

DES MOINES, Iowa, Jan. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- BioSpace, the leading life sciences news and careers site, has announced its 2024 selections for the industry's most promising up-and-coming companies. The NextGen Class of 2024 list showcases 30 innovative organizations demonstrating exciting potential. This is the 10th year BioSpace has highlighted the most anticipated new biopharma companies from across the U.S. Topping the NextGen Class of 2024 is Rapport Therapeutics, having secured $100 million in its Series A and another $150 million in Series B funding six months later. Rapport's first program focuses on targeting drug-resistant seizure disorders and is in Phase I development. BioSpace considers organizations across all therapeutic areas. Other top winners include Apogee Therapeutics, CARGO Therapeutics, Aera Therapeutics and Nido Biosciences. "Despite the challenges of the macroeconomic environment of 2023, we are thrilled to highlight innovation that is still thriving across our industry," said BioSpace CEO Josh Goodwin. "It is a testament to biopharma's commitment to advancing global health, perseverance and creativity, and we are proud to showcase these companies." BioSpace's editorial team analyzed multiple factors: financing, collaborations, pipeline, growth potential and innovation. This year's list includes top-scoring organizations that launched with Series A funding between September 2022 and September 2023. View complete NextGen lists from previous years: Class of 2015, Class of 2016, Class of 2017, Class of 2018, Class of 2019, Class of 2020, Class of 2021, Class of 2022, Class of 2023. NextGen Bio "Class of 2024" list Rapport Therapeutics, Apogee Therapeutics, CARGO Therapeutics, Aera Therapeutics, Nido Biosciences, ReNAgade Therapeutics, Orbital Therapeutics, Abdera Therapeutics, SonoThera, Bitterroot Bio, Convergent Therapeutics, Ascidian Therapeutics, Delve Bio, Alterome Therapeutics, LinusBio, Actio Biosciences, i2o Therapeutics, Initial Therapeutics, Entact Bio, Rezo Therapeutics, Aether Bio, Belharra Therapeutics, Kate Therapeutics, Cajal Neuroscience, Matchpoint Therapeutics, Bonum Therapeutics, Juvena Therapeutics, Georgiamune, Nested Therapeutics, Crossbow Therapeutics. About BioSpace BioSpace provides essential insights, opportunities and tools to connect innovative life sciences organizations and talented professionals who advance health and quality of life across the globe. BioSpace is the leading source for careers and news for life sciences professionals in the United States. SOURCE BioSpace