GSK, LTZ collaborate to advance novel myeloid cell engagers in oncology
London: GSK plc and LTZ Therapeutics, an immunotherapy-focused biotechnology company based in Redwood City, California, have announced a strategic research collaboration to advance the development of novel myeloid cell engagers (MCEs) to address significant unmet need in oncology.
The research collaboration aims to develop up to four potential first-in-class MCE therapies targeting haematologic cancers and solid tumours. The agreement grants GSK an exclusive option to license worldwide development and commercial rights for these pre-clinical therapies.
MCEs are an emerging class of immuno-oncology treatments designed to use the body’s own immune system to recognise and kill tumour cells, providing a novel approach to target cancers with a favourable safety profile. Myeloid cells make up a significant majority of tissue resident immune cells in the body, providing potential for a broad and sustained infiltration of tumours when they are used to target and kill cancerous cells. The LTZ MCE platform has shown promising pre-clinical data on targeted anti-cancer activity in multiple tumour types. While other modalities have shown efficacy, they can be associated with significant side effects requiring inpatient monitoring that limit community use where most patients receive care.
Hesham Abdullah, Senior Vice President, Global Head Oncology, R&D, GSK said, “This collaboration builds on GSK’s targeted investment in next-generation technologies to advance cancer medicines with transformative potential. By combining our scientific expertise with LTZ’s innovative immune-engager platform, we aim to accelerate first-in-class myeloid cell engager therapies in haematologic cancers and solid tumours to transform outcomes with a safety profile to enable broad community access for people living with cancer.”
Robert Li, Founder and CEO of LTZ said, “We are thrilled to enter a strategic agreement with GSK. This collaboration marks a pivotal milestone in our mission to uncover the potential of myeloid biology to deliver new treatment options for diseases with significant unmet need. Working with GSK for oncology indications will enable us to accelerate this vision, uniting expertise, and a common goal of improving outcomes for patients.”
Under the terms of the agreement, LTZ will receive an upfront payment of $50 million and is eligible to receive success-based preclinical, clinical, regulatory and commercial milestone payments, plus tiered royalties on global net sales of commercialized products resulting from the collaboration.
Read also: GSK pulmonary neuroendocrine carcinoma treatment gets Orphan Drug Designation in EU
