Through the agreement, the companies will use Teneobio’s anti-CD3 platform to develop TNB-383B, a B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA) targeting immunotherapy treatment.
TNB-383B is a bispecific antibody that targets both BCMA and CD3, using the body’s immune system to target and kill the surface protein BCMA on tumor cells. BCMA proteins support the survival of multiple myeloma cells.
Per the agreement, TeneoOne, an affiliate of Teneobio focused on developing biologics, will receive an upfront payment of $90m (€79.8m) to continue developing TNB-383B through Phase I clinical trials.
AbbVie will hold the right to acquire TeneoBio’s biologic development sect TeneoOne, for global development and commercialization of the therapy candidate.
Mohit Trikha, VP and head of oncology early development at AbbVie, said in a statement, "Multiple myeloma is one of the most common hematological cancers and an area of significant medical need. Teneobio's novel approach to T-cell redirection with TNB-383B has the potential to be a treatment option that may offer new hope for myeloma patients."
Teneobio is expected to begin the clinical program for TNB-383B in the first half of 2019.
Therapies used to target BCMA proteins for the treatment of multiple myeloma have been developed before, but many of these drug candidates were chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies. Bluebird Bio and Celgene entered an agreement in March 2018 to co-develop a BCMA CAR-T cell therapy for the treatment of multiple myeloma.
