The partnership between Gilead's recently acquired subsidiary, Kite and Gadeta, a Netherlands-based biotech, will allow the former company to fund R&D for Gadeta’s potential cancer immunotherapies. Kite has purchased equity of Gadeta, with the option to acquire the biotech in full.
Gadeta, has worked to create cell therapies through a technology they developed in which alpha beta T cells are engineered with gamma delta T cells receptors (TCRs), known as TEGs. This technology has been considered to be a potential treatment for hematological cancers and solid cancers.
After pre-clinical trials conducted by Gadeta, it is believed that this platform has the ability to combine T cells with TCRs from gamma delta T cells. Gamma delta T cells are believed to be able to recognize targets in cancer cells.
Alessandro Riva, Gilead’s executive vice president of oncology therapeutics and head of cell therapy, said “We are excited to work with Gadeta on its gamma delta TCR technology. This research collaboration adds an additional new platform to our current capabilities in research and cell manufacturing, and deepens our commitment to develop novel approaches to treat solid tumors.”
Expanding on Riva’s statement, a representative from Gilead to us, “Using alpha beta T cells as carriers to express unique receptors derived from gamma delta T cells complements our current understanding of alpha beta T Cells, including cell manufacturing, to develop new and innovative cell therapy products that recognize novel targets arising from metabolic changes in cancer cells.”
The partnership between Gadeta and Kite builds on the latter’s success in bringing the second CAR-T treatment to market in the US and a likely approval in the EU.