SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., Jan. 07, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CytomX Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq:CTMX), a clinical-stage oncology-focused biopharmaceutical company pioneering a novel class of investigational antibody therapeutics based on its Probody™ therapeutic technology platform, today announced it has acquired drug conjugate linker-toxin and CD3-based bispecific technologies from Agensys, Inc., an affiliate of Astellas Pharma Inc. Under the terms of the agreement, CytomX will pay Astellas a one-time, up-front payment.
“The clinical progress we reported throughout 2018 provided initial proof of concept for our Probody therapeutic platform. This transaction with Astellas provides us with novel payloads and CD3 binding moieties for our next wave of potent anti-cancer agents that leverage our technology, including Probody drug conjugates and Probody T cell engaging bispecifics,” said W. Michael Kavanaugh, M.D. chief scientific officer and head of research and non-clinical development at CytomX.
About CytomX Therapeutics
CytomX Therapeutics is a clinical-stage oncology-focused biopharmaceutical company pioneering a novel class of investigational antibody therapeutics based on its Probody™ therapeutic technology platform. Probody therapeutics are designed to exploit unique conditions of the tumor microenvironment to more effectively localize antibody binding and activity while limiting activity in healthy tissues. CytomX and its partners have four programs in the clinic. The Company’s pipeline includes cancer immunotherapies against clinically-validated targets, including a PD-L1-targeting Probody therapeutic wholly owned by CytomX (CX-072), a PD-1-targeting Probody therapeutic wholly owned by CytomX (CX-188) and a CTLA-4-targeting Probody therapeutic partnered with Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS-986249). The pipeline also includes first-in-class Probody drug conjugates against highly attractive targets including a CD166-targeting Probody drug conjugate wholly owned by CytomX (CX-2009), and a CD71-targeting Probody drug conjugate partnered with AbbVie (CX-2029). CD166 and CD71 are among cancer targets that are considered to be inaccessible to conventional antibody drug conjugates due to their presence on many healthy tissues. In addition to its wholly owned programs, CytomX has strategic collaborations with AbbVie, Amgen, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company and ImmunoGen, Inc. For more information, visit www.cytomx.com.
CytomX Therapeutics Forward-Looking Statements
This press release includes forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that are difficult to predict, may be beyond our control, and may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied in such statements. Accordingly, you should not rely on any of these forward-looking statements, including those relating to the potential benefits, safety and efficacy of CytomX’s or any of its collaborative partners’ product candidates, administered separately or in combination, CytomX’s ability and the ability of its collaborative partners to develop and advance product candidates into and successfully complete clinical trials, including CytomX’s Phase 1/2 clinical trials of CX-072, CX-2009 and CX-2029, the timing of any future clinical trials to be initiated by CytomX or any of its collaborative partners, including a clinical trial for CX-188, CytomX’s expectations regarding the availability of clinical data, including data from the ongoing clinical trial of CX-2009, CytomX’s expectations with respect to its collaborations, and CytomX’s expectations regarding the timing of potential regulatory filings. Risks and uncertainties that contribute to the uncertain nature of the forward-looking statements include: three of CytomX’s product candidates under its Probody platform are in the initial stages of clinical development and its other product candidates are currently in preclinical development, and the process by which preclinical and clinical development could potentially lead to an approved product is long and subject to significant risks and uncertainties; the possibility that the results of early clinical trials may not be predictive of future results; the possibility that CytomX’s clinical trials will not be successful; CytomX’s dependence on the success of CX-072, CX-2009 and CX-2029; CytomX’s reliance on third parties for the manufacture of the company’s product candidates; and possible regulatory developments in the United States and foreign countries. Projected net cash utilization and capital resources are subject to substantial risk of variance based on a wide variety of factors that can be difficult to predict. Additional applicable risks and uncertainties include those relating to our preclinical research and development, clinical development, and other risks identified under the heading "Risk Factors" included in CytomX’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on November 6, 2018. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based on information currently available to CytomX and speak only as of the date on which they are made. CytomX does not undertake and specifically disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of any new information, future events, changed circumstances or otherwise.
Contact:
Investors and Media:
Christopher Keenan
VP, Investor Relations and Corporate Communications
ckeenan@cytomx.com
650-383-0823