By Colin Kellaher
AbbVie, a leading biopharmaceutical company, has recently entered into two exclusive option and license agreements with Umoja Biopharma, a clinical-stage biotechnology company. The focus of this collaboration will be on developing new chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) cancer therapy candidates.
Under these agreements, AbbVie and Umoja will jointly work on creating multiple CAR-T cell therapy candidates using Umoja's innovative VivoVec platform. AbbVie's upfront payments and equity investment in Umoja demonstrate its commitment to this partnership. In total, Umoja stands to receive up to $1.44 billion for option exercise fees, development and regulatory milestones, as well as additional sales-based milestones and royalties.
AbbVie has secured an exclusive option to license Umoja's CD19 directed CAR-T cell therapy candidates, including their most advanced clinical program for hematologic malignancies. Currently, this program is at the IND-enabling phase. Additionally, the companies have set their sights on developing up to four more candidates for discovery targets selected by AbbVie.
This collaboration showcases AbbVie's dedication to advancing CAR-T cell therapy and expanding treatment options for patients with cancer. The partnership with Umoja Biopharma brings together the expertise of both companies, with the ultimate goal of delivering innovative and promising therapies.
