BioCentury
ARTICLE | Company News

Agenus, 4-Antibody deal

January 27, 2014 8:00 AM UTC

Agenus will acquire antibody company 4-Antibody for $10 million up front in Agenus stock plus additional contingent payments, payable in cash or stock, that may exceed $40 million. Agenus will gain 4-Antibody's antibody discovery technology and portfolio of preclinical immune checkpoint inhibitors. The inhibitors target glucocorticoid-induced tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNFR)-related protein ( GITR; TNFRSF18) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor superfamily member 4 ( TNFRSF4; OX40; CD134) and four undisclosed targets. Agenus noted there is growing interest in combining checkpoint-targeting antibodies with other immune stimulating agents. Agenus is developing Prophage vitespen, a cancer vaccine containing the gp96 heat shock protein and associated peptides that are purified from autologous tumor cells. The product is in Phase II testing to treat metastatic melanoma (see BioCentury, Jan. 20). ...