Takeda to Acquire GammaDelta Therapeutics to Accelerate Development of Allogeneic γδT Cell Therapies Addressing Solid Tumors
Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited announced the exercise of its option to acquire GammaDelta Therapeutics Limited, a company focused on exploiting the unique properties of gamma delta (γδ) T cells for immunotherapy.
Through the acquisition, Takeda will obtain GammaDelta’s allogeneic variable delta 1 (Vδ1) gamma-delta (γδ) T cell therapy platforms, which includes both blood-derived and tissue-derived platforms, in addition to early-stage cell therapy programs.
Takeda exercised its option to acquire GammaDelta for a pre-negotiated upfront payment as well as potential development and regulatory milestones. The acquisition follows a multi-year collaboration between Takeda and GammaDelta Therapeutics formed in 2017 to develop GammaDelta’s novel γδ T cell therapy platforms, in which Takeda received an equity stake and an exclusive right to purchase GammaDelta. The deal is expected to be finalized in Q1 of Takeda’s fiscal year 2022. Closing of the transaction is contingent on completion of review under antitrust laws, including the Hart-Scott-Rodino (HSR) Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 in the U.S.
Takeda seeks to broaden the impact of immunotherapy in cancer treatment by focusing on mechanisms that leverage innate immunity. Innate immune responses serve as the body’s first defense mechanism against disease and involve the orchestration of a broad arsenal of mechanisms and cell types, including γδ T cells and natural killer (NK) cells, that may help to overcome cancer’s ability to evade immune recognition. GammaDelta’s cell therapy platforms include technologies designed to generate both blood- and tissue-derived allogeneic immunotherapies based on γδ T cells for the treatment of hematological malignancies and solid tumors. Both platforms have enabled the creation of a portfolio of selective non-engineered and genetically-engineered allogeneic cell therapies that are highly active preclinically against solid tumors and hematological malignancies.
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