Serono and Genmab sign HuMax-TAC development agreement
Swiss biotech company Serono and Genmab, of Copenhagen in Denmark, have signed an agreement under which Genmab grants Serono exclusive world-wide rights to develop and commercialise HuMax-TAC.
Swiss biotech company Serono and Genmab, of Copenhagen in Denmark, have signed an agreement under which Genmab grants Serono exclusive world-wide rights to develop and commercialise HuMax-TAC.
The product is a fully human monoclonal antibody targeting the TAC antigen - also known as CD25, or the interleukin-2 receptor alpha subunit (IL-2Ra) - which is overexpressed by activated T-cells. By inhibiting the proliferation of T-cells, HuMax-TAC may have therapeutic potential in the treatment of T-cell mediated diseases, such as autoimmune disorders, inflammatory and hyperproliferative skin disorders, as well as acute transplant rejection. HuMax-TAC is cur-rently in pre-clinical trials.
Under the agreement, Genmab will receive an up-front payment of US$2m and is entitled to potential milestone payments of up to $38m and royalties on sales from any eventual commercialisation of the product. Serono will be responsible for all future de-velopment costs for HuMax-TAC.
'We are committed to the development of novel therapeutics to fulfil significant unmet medical needs,' said Dr Timothy N.C. Wells, head of research at Serono. 'We believe that HuMax-TAC brings a new dimension to the treatment of many of the key diseases where Serono has a scientific and medical interest.'