Dragonfly inks strategic research collaboration with Gilead

US biotech companies Dragonfly Therapeutics and Gilead Sciences (Nasdaq: GILD) have announced a collaboration designed to advance a number of Dragonfly's novel natural killer (NK) cell engager-based immunotherapies for oncology and inflammation indications.

NK cell engagers represent a novel mechanism with the potential to address a broad range of cancers, including potential for activity in checkpoint resistant and refractory tumors, as well as other disease areas such as inflammation. Under the agreement, Gilead will receive an exclusive, worldwide license from Dragonfly for the 5T4-targeting investigational immunotherapy program, DF7001.

The agreement also grants Gilead options, after the completion of certain preclinical activities, to license exclusive, worldwide rights to develop and commercialize additional NK cell engager programs using the Dragonfly Tri-specific NK Engager (TriNKET) platform. TriNKETs are activators of the innate and adaptive immune systems, recruiting NK and cytotoxic T cells into the tumor microenvironment.