A spokesperson for Verseau told us that the company’s biological understanding of myeloid cells has enabled them to develop a unique approach to immunotherapy.
“Our macrophage checkpoint modulators cause tumors to turn highly inflammatory and stimulate multiple immune cell types, including T-cells, for a coordinated immune attack on cancer,” the spokesperson added.
Verseau’s spokesperson also stated that the company believes this type of therapy may have the potential to expand the number of patients benefitting from immunotherapy, including those unresponsive to PD-1 inhibitor therapies.
“Macrophages are the orchestrators of the immune system. If you can control the function of macrophages, you can control the activation and deactivation of the immune system,” the spokesperson explained.
Per the agreement, 3SBio will receive exclusive license to develop and commercialize macrophage checkpoint modulators (MCM) antibodies for all human oncology indications listed in China. Verseau will be responsible for discovery and optimization of the antibodies.
The development, good manufacturing practice (GMP) manufacturing, and commercialization of the antibodies will be funded by 3SBio.
Verseau will take on global sales and S3Bio will take on sales within the Hong Kong territory. Verseau and 3SBio will both be eligible to receive certain milestone payments and royalties on product sales from respective territories. 3SBio will also purchase $15m of Verseau Series B preferred stock. Additional financial terms were not disclosed.
3SBio previously entered an agreement with Therapure to leverage the company’s downstream purification in an aim to bolster its biologics portfolio and contract biomanufacturing business on the global level. The agreement with Verseau will also continue 3SBio’s movement on a global scale as Verseau takes on sales outside of China.