Tachyon and AbCellera Collaborate to Develop Novel Antibody Therapeutic Targeting TGF-β Superfamily Member for the Treatment of Cancer

By: Tachyon Therapeutics, Inc. via Business Wire

August 03, 2021 at 06:00 AM EDT

LEFTY1, a secreted dual inhibitor of the NODAL/SMAD2 and BMP7/SMAD5 pathway, is implicated in driving cancer stem cell biology and unregulated tumor cell growth

Tachyon Therapeutics, Inc. (Tachyon), a research and development focused biotechnology company, and AbCellera (Nasdaq: ABCL), a technology company with a centralized operating system for next-generation antibody discovery, today announced a collaboration to facilitate the discovery and development of a therapeutic antibody targeting LEFTY1, a member of the transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) superfamily and validated extracellular drug target expressed in advanced cancers. Under the terms of the agreement, AbCellera is eligible to receive milestone payments and royalties on products that are derived from its antibody discovery platform. In addition, AbCellera has the option to invest in preclinical and clinical development in exchange for an increased share of product sales.

“At Tachyon, we are focused on innovation, precision, science, and speed to develop first-in-class therapeutics against significant new drug targets in cancer biology,” said Frank Perabo, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Tachyon. “AbCellera has consistently demonstrated these four qualities as they accelerate the discovery of first-in-class therapeutic antibodies for novel biology. We look forward to working with their team to target LEFTY1, a major signaling regulator of the TGF-β superfamily, and unlock a new pathway to treat advanced cancers.”

Members of the TGF-β superfamily control numerous cellular functions, including proliferation, apoptosis, differentiation, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, adhesion, and migration. Because of their ubiquitous and regulatory roles in both normal and cancer cell biology, TGF-β superfamily members, such as LEFTY1 are highly sought after, yet challenging drug targets. Research led by Tachyon’s scientific founder, Michael F. Clarke, Ph.D., who was the first to identify and characterize cancer stem cells in solid tumors, revealed that LEFTY1 suppresses NODAL/SMAD2 and BMP7/SMAD5 pathways to promote long-term proliferation of normal and malignant mammary epithelial cells.¹ As a secreted extracellular protein, LEFTY1 represents an important target to control SMAD-dependent signals that promote the long-term growth and self-renewal of cancer stem cells.

“Our collaboration with Tachyon represents an opportunity to expedite the translation of breakthrough research of a novel and significant cancer drug target into a first-in-class antibody therapeutic for patients with advanced cancers and limited treatment options,” said Carl Hansen, Ph.D., CEO of AbCellera. “This collaboration exemplifies innovative deal structures that align our interest with our partners’ and provides AbCellera with optionality to deepen our participation in the success of the antibodies we discover. We are excited to partner with Tachyon to pursue a previously unexplored mechanism and develop therapies that we anticipate will impact cancer treatment.”

1. Zabala, et al., LEFTY1 Is a Dual-SMAD Inhibitor that Promotes Mammary Progenitor Growth and Tumorigenesis. Cell Stem Cell. 2020.

About Tachyon Therapeutics Inc.

Tachyon Therapeutics, Inc. is a R&D focused biotechnology company developing novel, first-in-class therapeutics for the treatment of advanced cancers. Tachyon operates with a dedicated internal core development team and a virtual external network of expertise to achieve one goal – advance development of promising drug targets with speed and innovation, without compromising the quality or integrity of science. For more information, please visit www.tachyontx.com.

About AbCellera Biologics Inc.

AbCellera is a technology company that searches, decodes, and analyzes natural immune systems to find antibodies that its partners can develop into drugs to prevent and treat disease. AbCellera partners with drug developers of all sizes, from large pharmaceutical to small biotechnology companies, empowering them to move quickly, reduce cost, and tackle the toughest problems in drug development. For more information, please visit www.abcellera.com.

AbCellera Forward-looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The forward-looking statements are based on management’s beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to management. All statements contained in this release other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements, including statements regarding our ability to develop, commercialize and achieve market acceptance of our current and planned products and services, our research and development efforts, and other matters regarding our business strategies, use of capital, results of operations and financial position, and plans and objectives for future operations.

In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the words “may,” “will,” “could,” “would,” “should,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “project,” “potential,” “continue,” “ongoing” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. These statements involve risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements to be materially different from the information expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These risks, uncertainties and other factors are described under "Risk Factors," "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" and elsewhere in the documents we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time. We caution you that forward-looking statements are based on a combination of facts and factors currently known by us and our projections of the future, about which we cannot be certain. As a result, the forward-looking statements may not prove to be accurate. The forward-looking statements in this press release represent our views as of the date hereof. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements for any reason, except as required by law.

Source: AbCellera Biologics Inc.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210803005352/en/

Contacts

Tachyon Inquiries

Frank Perabo, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer; ir@tachyontx.com, +1 (832) 952-0829

AbCellera Inquiries

Media: Jessica Yingling, Ph.D., media@abcellera.com, +1 (236) 521-6774

Business Development: Neil Berkley, bd@abcellera.com, +1 (604) 559-9005

Investor Relations: Melanie Solomon, ir@abcellera.com, +1 (778) 729-9116

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Tachyon and AbCellera Collaborate to Develop Novel Antibody Therapeutic Targeting TGF-β Superfamily Member for the Treatment of Cancer

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