Servier takes up licensing option for Cellectis' UCART19; deal with Pfizer

Allogeneic CAR T-cell therapies specialist Cellectis (Alternext: ALCLS) and Servier today announced an amendment to their existing collaboration agreement (The Pharma Letter February 18, 2014) especially for UCART19, a TALEN gene-edited allogeneic Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell (CAR-T) immunotherapy.

Under this amendment, independent French drugmaker Servier exercises early its option to acquire the exclusive worldwide rights to further develop and commercialize UCART19, which is about to enter Phase I development for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).

In addition, US pharma giant Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) and Servier have entered into an exclusive global license and collaboration agreement to co-develop and commercialize UCART19. Under the terms of the agreement, Pfizer and Servier will work together on a joint clinical development program for UCART19 and share development costs. Pfizer will be responsible for potential commercialization of UCART19 in the USA, and Servier will retain marketing rights in countries outside the USA. Pfizer’s collaboration with Servier on UCART19 is distinct from the collaboration with Cellectis that Pfizer announced in June 2014, which did not include UCART19.