Servier and Cellectis agree cancer collaboration

Servier has agreed a new partnership with Cellectis that will focus on the development of promising new therapies for various cancer types.

The alliance covers the development and commercialisation of Cellectis' lead product candidate UCART19, a therapeutic innovation for treating various types of leukaemias and lymphomas.

It also covers the research, development and potentially the commercialisation of five other product candidates targeting solid tumours. The financial terms of the collaboration include an upfront payment of $10 million (six million pounds) and up to $140 million in milestone fees for each of the six product candidates.

Cellectis will be responsible for leading research through to the end of phase I. Servier may then exercise an exclusive worldwide option for a licence on each product candidate.

Dr Emmanuel Canet, president of Servier research and development, said: "Through this partnership Servier is reinforcing its commitment to provide innovative therapeutic solutions for unmet needs in patients with serious illnesses."

This comes after the company acquired the rights to develop a new MacroGenics therapy for use in the treatment of haematologic malignancies earlier this month.