Astellas and Potenza Therapeutics agree immuno-oncology alliance

Astellas has announced a new exclusive research and development collaboration with Potenza Therapeutics, a biotechnology company specialising in immuno-oncology.

The companies will work together to develop a portfolio of programmes with novel mechanisms of action targeting immune checkpoint pathways, co-stimulatory signals and regulatory T-cells.

Potenza will lead drug discovery activities and deliver development candidates to Astellas, which will then be responsible for clinical development activities and commercialisation.

The agreement also includes an option that allows for the future acquisition of Potenza by Astellas, depending on pre-determined terms at the end of the collaboration period.

Dr Kenji Yasukawa, senior vice-president and chief strategy officer at Astellas, said: "I am pleased that we are collaborating with Potenza, whose team of scientific founders, management and venture capitalists all have a proven track record in the field of cancer immunotherapy."

This comes after the company agreed a co-development and co-commercialisation deal with Merck Sharp and Dohme in Japan for an orally-administered combination therapy for type 2 diabetes earlier this month.