AstraZeneca to acquire TeneoTwo and its blood cancer drug candidate
AstraZeneca has announced an agreement to acquire TeneoTwo Inc., including its clinical-stage T-cell engager, TNB-486. The acquisition aims to strengthen the company's pipeline for treating hematological cancers.
AstraZeneca has entered into an agreement to acquire TeneoTwo Inc., thereby gaining access to its clinical-stage CD19/CD3 T-cell engager, TNB-486. This candidate is currently being evaluated in patients with relapsed and refractory B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
The acquisition of TNB-486 is intended to accelerate the development of this potential new medicine for B-cell hematologic malignancies, including diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and follicular lymphoma. T-cell engagers, like TNB-486, are a class of therapeutic antibodies designed to redirect the immune system's T-cells to recognize and kill cancer cells.
By binding to both the CD19 antigen found on B-cells and the CD3 receptor on T-cells, TNB-486 activates and recruits T-cells to CD19-expressing tumors. Once recruited, these T-cells can elicit an immune response against the cancer cells, presenting a promising therapeutic approach for hematologic malignancies.
The transaction includes an upfront payment of $100 million. AstraZeneca may also make additional milestone payments of up to $805 million related to research and development, and up to $360 million related to commercial milestones. The deal is expected to close in the third quarter of 2022.