XOMA’s Royalty Portfolio Grows With Addition of Three Royalty Assets
XOMA Corporation recently announced its portfolio of potential future milestone and royalty assets has increased with the addition of three Affimed N.V. innate cell engager (ICE) programs for which XOMA could receive future economics. In 2006, Affimed licensed certain XOMA technologies to further its research and discovery efforts.
“It’s always exciting to see XOMA’s legacy technology license agreements mature into clinical-stage drug candidates that may generate economic benefits for XOMA in the future. We’re delighted to add AFM13, AFM24, and an undisclosed clinical-stage partnered asset to XOMA’s portfolio,” said Jim Neal, Chief Executive Officer at XOMA.
- AFM13, which has Orphan Drug designation from the US FDA, is a first-in-class CD30/CD16A ICE generated from Affimed’s ROCK platform that induces specific and selective killing of CD30-positive tumor cells by engaging and activating natural killer (NK) cells and macrophages, thereby leveraging the power of the body’s own innate immune system. Affimed currently is studying AFM13 in combination with cord blood-derived allogeneic natural killer cells in cooperation with the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.
- AFM24 is a tetravalent, bispecific EGFR- and CD16A-binding ICE also generated from Affimed’s ROCK platform. AFM24 uses the cytotoxic potential of the innate immune system by redirecting and activating NK cells and macrophages to kill EGFR-positive cancer cells through antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) and antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis (ADCP), respectively.
XOMA is eligible to receive undisclosed payments on future commercial sales of each of the three ICE molecules and any pre-loaded NK cells containing the ICE molecules. Additionally, XOMA is eligible to receive an undisclosed milestone for each program on achieving marketing approval.
XOMA has built a significant portfolio of products that are licensed to and being developed by other biotech and pharmaceutical companies. The company’s portfolio of partner-funded programs spans multiple stages of the drug development process and across various therapeutic areas. Many of these licenses are the result of XOMA’s pioneering efforts in the discovery and development of antibody therapeutics. The company’s royalty-aggregator business model includes acquiring additional milestone and royalty rights associated with drug development programs with third-party funding. For more information, visit www.xoma.com.
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