MaxCyte, Inc, a leading, cell-engineering focused company providing enabling platform technologies to advance the discovery, development and commercialization of next-generation cell therapeutics and innovative bioprocessing applications, and Lion TCR, an Asia-based, clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on the development of T cell receptor (TCR)-T cell therapies for solid tumors and life-threatening viral infections today announced the signing of a strategic platform license (SPL). This partnership will enhance MaxCyte’s presence in Asia, with anticipated expansion into the US and European markets.
Under the terms of the agreement, Lion TCR obtains worldwide non-exclusive clinical and commercial rights to use MaxCyte’s Flow Electroporation® technology and ExPERT™ platform. In return, MaxCyte is entitled to receive annual license fees and program-related revenue.
“We are thrilled to partner with Lion TCR to support the development of their TCR-T cell therapies for hepatocellular carcinoma and life-threatening viral infections,” said Maher Masoud, President and CEO of MaxCyte. “Through this important partnership, we will be able to help provide the opportunity for patients in Asia (and ultimately patients worldwide) to benefit from these innovative mRNA-based TCR-T cell treatments and continue supporting the development of new therapies for patients with solid tumors.”
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Lion’s proprietary TCR-T cell therapy platform is supported by robust research, in collaboration with renowned laboratories, in the areas of autologous T cells and ’off-the-shelf’ technologies. The company’s TCR-T cell therapy harnesses the patient’s own immune system to fight against viral infections and cancers. The company is conducting ongoing clinical trials against hepatocellular carcinoma to evaluate the safety and efficacy of its TCR-T cells. Lion has engineered Hepatitis B virus (HBV)-specific T cells to recognize HBV-expressing tumor cells and achieve targeted killing, which is key as HBV is a major cause of hepatocellular carcinoma.
“At Lion TCR, we aspire to be the world’s leader in the field of mRNA-based TCR-T therapeutics through the technological advancement and development of adoptive T cell therapy products for cancers and cancer-causing infectious diseases,” said CEO, Xiaoming Peng PhD, MBA. “We are honored to have MaxCyte as a partner and leverage their large-scale flow electroporation technology to support our development of novel therapeutics to benefit patients suffering from these devastating diseases.”
MaxCyte’s ExPERT™ instrument portfolio is the next generation of leading, clinically-validated electroporation technology for complex and scalable cell engineering. By delivering high transfection efficiency, seamless scalability and enhanced functionality, the ExPERT™ platform delivers the high-end performance essential to enabling the next wave of biological and cellular therapeutics. Lion TCR is MaxCyte’s 24th strategic partnership overall, each of which generates pre-commercial milestone revenue and the vast majority of which include sales-based payments.
SOURCE: GlobeNewswire