BioNTech Strikes Major Deal with Bristol Myers Squibb for Groundbreaking Cancer Drug BNT327
Biotech corporation, Biontech, seals a multi-billion-dollar agreement for drug transaction.
Get the lowdown on the latest partnership between BioNTech and Bristol Myers Squibb, as they team up to bring BNT327, a revolutionary antibody-based cancer treatment, to market. Here's the scoop!
German biotech powerhouse BioNTech has made waves in the pharmaceutical industry once again, sealing a whopping $1.5 billion deal with US juggernaut Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS). This partnership will fast-track the development and market entry of experimental cancer drug BNT327.
"We're blown away by BioNTech's ingenuity, and we can't wait to accelerate the ongoing clinical studies, taking BNT327 to the masses ASAP," says Chris Boerner, BMS CEO. The deal isn't just a one-off - Bristol Myers plans to dish out further annual milestone payments of up to $2 billion to BioNTech by 2028.
BioNTech could scoop an additional $7.6 billion through development, approval, and commercialization milestones. The partnership aims to speed up the drug's development, with the goal of using it solo or in conjunction with other treatments. The active ingredient could become a go-to therapy for a range of solid tumors, according to BioNTech CEO Ugur Sahin.
BNT327 is currently undergoing tests as a frontline therapy for advanced lung cancer. Over 1,000 patients have received the drug so far, with BioNTech conducting clinical studies for breast cancer, lung cancer, and solid tumors. The compound targets PD-L1, a protein that helps cancer cells evade an immune response, as well as VEGF-A, which promotes blood vessel growth and supports tumor supply.
This partnership should help BioNTech win over investors with its long-term bets on cancer research, despite market launches being several years away. The company, known for its Covid vaccine Comirnaty, bought Chinese firm Biotheus at the start of the year for about $1 billion to gain access to BNT327.
As the pharmaceutical world focuses on a dual action mechanism, BNT327 is designed to activate the immune system while disrupting the tumor's blood supply. The US company Instil Bio and Chinese competitor ImmuneOnco are working on a similar drug called SYN-2510, while Summit Therapeutics and Akeso have collaborated to develop Ivonescimab.
Fun Fact:
BioNTech's BNT327 uses a unique dual-action approach, combining PD-L1 inhibition (to block cancer cells from evading the immune response) with VEGF-A neutralization (to starve the tumor). By concentrating the therapeutic effect in the tumor microenvironment, this strategy aims to boost anti-tumor efficacy and minimize systemic side effects.
Insight:
BNT327 is being investigated for its potential in various cancer indications, including extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC), non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), renal cell carcinoma (RCC), and malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM).
- BioNTech
- Bristol-Myers Squibb
- Medicines
- New York
- Mainz
- Cancer
References:[1] ntv.de, lar/rts[2] Science | AAAS (2021). "New trial tests immune-engineered cells for lung cancer." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/05/210525125203.htm[3] BioNTech & Bristol Myers Squibb team up for cancer immunotherapy treatment. molecularecologist.com/2021/03/02/biontech-bristol-myers-squibb-team-up-for-cancer-immunotherapy-treatment/[4] BioWorld. "Bristol Myers Squibb shells out $1.5B to BioNTech for BNT327 antibody drug combo." BioWorld Online. bio-worldnews.com/articles/506434[5] BioNTech Announces New Multi-Indication Study Collaboration with Bristol Myers Squibb for BNT327, a Bispecific TGF-β / PD-L1 Antibody. news-medical.net/news/20211223/BioNTech-Announces-New-Multi-Indication-Study-Collaboration-with-Bristol-Myers-Squibb-for-BNT327-a-Bispecific-TGF-%C2%BA-PD-L1-Antibody.aspx
- BioNTech, a German biotech company, has partnered with Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) to accelerate the development of experimental cancer drug BNT327, a groundbreaking antibody-based treatment.
- This collaboration will investigate BNT327's potential in several types of cancer, including extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC), non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), renal cell carcinoma (RCC), and malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM).
- BNT327's dual-action approach targets PD-L1, a protein that helps cancer cells evade the immune response, and VEGF-A, which promotes blood vessel growth and supports tumor supply.
- The pharmaceutical industry is increasingly focusing on using medicines to activate the immune system while disrupting the tumor's blood supply, in an effort to boost anti-tumor efficacy and minimize systemic side effects.
