Roche/Genentech pull out of dacetuzumab deal with Seattle Genetics

Seattle Genetic became another casualty of Swiss drug ajmor Roche's portfolio review, with the latter telling the US biotechnology that its wholly-owned subsidiary Genentech is terminating the companies' collaboration agreement for dacetuzumab (SGN-40). Dacetuzumab is a monoclonal antibody targeting CD40 that has been investigated in clinical trials for non-Hodgkin lymphoma and multiple myeloma.

Just last week, Roche told fellow Swiss firm Actelion that it is pulling out of further development of the orally-available and selective S1P1 receptor agonist (ACT-128800) in psoriasis (The Pharma Letter December 9).

In October, Seattle Genetics said it had ended a mid-stage chemotherapy trial involving dacetuzumab because results were unlikely to meet expectations when compared to a placebo. Seattle Genetics shares dropped 8.1%, to $8.25 in premarket trading on December 11, after the news was announced.

'We will evaluate available data as we consider possible next steps for the dacetuzumab program,' said Clay Siegall, president and chief executive of Seattle Genetics. 'We remain focused on advancing our lead product candidate, brentuximab vedotin (SGN-35), which we are positioning for a potential new drug application in 2011, as well as multiple other clinical and preclinical programs in our portfolio,' he added.

Under the terms of the dacetuzumab collaboration, the effective date of the termination will be June 8, 2010, at which time all rights to dacetuzumab will be returned to Seattle Genetics. Genentech will remain responsible for funding development costs associated with completing all ongoing clinical trials for dacetuzumab as of the effective date of termination. Dacetuzumab is currently being evaluated in four ongoing Phase Ib clinical trials in combination with standard regimens for patients with relapsed or refractory non-Hodgkin lymphoma and multiple myeloma. Seattle Genetics' antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) collaboration with Genentech is unaffected by this decision.