SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Allogene Therapeutics, Inc. (Allogene) today announced the completion of the previously announced transaction between Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) and Allogene for Pfizer’s portfolio of assets related to allogeneic chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR T) therapy, an investigational immune cell therapy approach to treating cancer.
On April 3, 2018, Allogene and Pfizer announced that the companies had entered into a definitive asset contribution agreement for Pfizer’s allogeneic CAR T portfolio. As a result of the completed agreement, Allogene has received from Pfizer the rights to 16 preclinical CAR T assets licensed from Cellectis and Servier and one clinical asset licensed from Servier, UCART19, an allogeneic CAR T therapy that is being developed for treatment of CD19-expressing hematological malignancies. In partnership with Servier, UCART19 is initially being developed in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and is currently in Phase 1. UCART19 utilizes TALEN® gene editing technology pioneered and owned by Cellectis.
With the agreement completed, Allogene is well-positioned to rapidly advance the portfolio of CAR T assets contributed by Pfizer into potential innovative new therapies, and ultimately to reach patients in need more quickly. “The completion of our agreement with Pfizer represents a bold undertaking by leaders in the field to expedite the development of the next wave of cancer immunotherapies,” said David Chang, M.D., Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Allogene.
Pfizer will continue to participate financially in the CAR T portfolio’s development through a 25 percent ownership stake in Allogene. Prior to the agreement's completion, Gilead Sciences joined Allogene’s premier Series A investment consortium that already included TPG, Vida Ventures, BellCo Capital, the University of California Office of the Chief Investment Officer, and Pfizer, among others.
Centerview Partners acted as financial advisor to Pfizer, with Ropes & Gray LLP acting as its legal advisor. Cooley LLP served as legal counsel to Allogene, Vida Ventures and TPG. Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP also served as legal counsel to TPG.
About Allogene Therapeutics
Allogene Therapeutics is a
biotechnology company with a mission to catalyze the next revolution in
cancer treatment through the development of allogeneic chimeric antigen
receptor T-cell (CAR T) therapy directed at blood cancers and solid
tumors. Founded and led by former Kite Pharma executives who bring
unrivaled clinical development acumen in cell therapy, Allogene is
well-positioned to further the potential of allogeneic cell therapy for
patients.
Allogeneic CAR T therapies are engineered from cells of healthy donors and stored for “off-the-shelf” use in patients. This approach eliminates the need to create personalized therapy from a patient’s own cells, simplifies manufacturing, and reduces the time patients must wait for CAR T treatment. The Allogene portfolio includes 16 pre-clinical T cell therapy assets and UCART19, an allogeneic CAR T therapy currently in Phase 1 development for the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Through its notable partnerships, Allogene leverages pioneering technology platforms, including TALEN® gene editing technology, to progress its portfolio of immuno-oncology therapies. Allogene, with headquarters in San Francisco, California, is a Two River portfolio company formed with one of the largest Series A financings in biotechnology from an investment consortium that includes TPG, Vida Ventures, BellCo Capital, the University of California Office of the Chief Investment Officer, Gilead and Pfizer. For more information, please visit www.allogene.com, follow @AllogeneTx on Twitter and LinkedIn.
