GlaxoSmithKline and Adaptimmune agree cancer immunotherapy alliance

GlaxoSmithKline has agreed a strategic collaboration and licensing agreement with Adaptimmune, a biotechnology company developing TCR-engineered T-cells to treat cancer.

The partnership will see the companies working to develop and commercialise novel cell-based therapies in the field of cancer immunotherapy. They will take advantage of Adaptimmune's work in creating TCRs that can be deployed to target the cancer testis antigen, NY-ESO-1, and other targets.

Previous trials in the NY-ESO-1 programme in multiple myeloma, melanoma, sarcoma and ovarian cancer in the US have generated encouraging results, with European studies set to begin soon.

Adaptimmune will co-develop its clinical programme and associated manufacturing optimisation work together with GlaxoSmithKline, which will have an option to assume full responsibility for the project through to the clinical proof of concept stage, anticipated during 2016.

Axel Hoos, vice-president of oncology research and development and head of immuno-oncology at GlaxoSmithKline, said: "We believe that Adaptimmune's T-cell receptor engineering technology will be synergistic with the growing immuno-oncology portfolio of GlaxoSmithKline and leverage our existing expertise in autologous cell gene therapy."

This comes after the firm agreed a strategic collaboration with Metabolon on new research in the field of metabolomics last month.