Bellicum Pharmaceuticals Licenses TCR Technology From Leiden University Medical Center
Lead TCR candidate targeting solid tumors to begin clinical studies in 2015
TCRs are engineered T cells that are activated when in the presence of target antigens in cancer cells. The lead TCRs under this license agreement have been shown to have a high affinity to PRAME, a cancer antigen that is preferentially expressed in melanomas, sarcomas, neuroblastomas and other solid tumors, but generally not expressed in normal tissue.
Bellicum’s first TCR product candidate under this agreement, BPX-701, targets PRAME and is expected to enter Phase 1/2 clinical trials before the end of 2015. BPX-701 incorporates Bellicum’s proprietary safety mechanism, CaspaCIDe®, for improved control over the cells.
Bellicum also exclusively licensed LUMC’s TCR technology targeting POU-2AF1. These TCRs have a high affinity to the B cell transcription factor expression product of POU-2AF1, which is present in primary chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), mantle cell lymphoma and multiple myeloma.
“TCRs are demonstrating broad potential for the treatment of solid
tumors,” said
About
As a center of medical innovations the
About
Bellicum is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing novel cellular immunotherapies for various forms of cancer, including hematological cancers and solid tumors, as well as orphan inherited blood disorders. The Company is using its proprietary Chemical Induction of Dimerization, or CID, technology platform to engineer and control components of the immune system in real time. Bellicum is developing next-generation product candidates in some of the most important areas of cellular immunotherapy, including hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, or HSCT, CAR T cell therapy, and dendritic cell vaccines.
*CaspaCIDe® is a trademark registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Forward-Looking Statement
This press release contains forward-looking statements for purposes
of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995. Bellicum may, in some cases, use terms such as
"predicts," "believes," "potential," "proposed," "continue,"
"estimates," "anticipates," "expects," "plans," "intends," "may,"
"could," "might," "will," "should" or other words that convey
uncertainty of future events or outcomes to identify these
forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include
statements regarding our intentions, beliefs, projections, outlook,
analyses or current expectations concerning, among other things: the
timing of our clinical trials and of our research and development
activities relating to BPX -701 and our expectations regarding our other
programs. Various factors may cause differences between Bellicum’s
expectations and actual results as discussed in greater detail in
Bellicum’s filings with the
Source:
Investors:
Bellicum Pharmaceuticals
Alan Musso,
832-384-1116
CFO
amusso@bellicum.com
or
Media:
BMC
Communications
Brad Miles, 646-513-3125
bmiles@bmccommunications.com
or
For
the Leiden University Medical Center
press officer at
directorate Communication, +31 71 526 8005
communicatie@lumc.nl