This is ancient news (6 months old = 47 in biotech years), but it provides a good insight into why CEGE has their hands in so many pies. So if any of these companies succeed (as with their ABGX) - CEGE makes out really well. And they have the revenues from those companies that want to spend cash rather than share the results.
internetwire.com
Medical News
CELL GENESYS AND PHARMACIA & UPJOHN ENTER
COLLABORATION FOR ANIMAL HEALTH GENE THERAPY
FOSTER CITY, CA -- (INTERNET WIRE) -- 09/24/99 -- Cell Genesys, Inc. (Nasdaq: CEGE)
today announced a research collaboration with Pharmacia & Upjohn (NYSE: PNU) in which
Cell Genesys will provide its proprietary adenoviral and adeno-associated viral (AAV) gene
delivery technologies to Pharmacia & Upjohn to evaluate certain applications of gene therapy
in animal health. Under the collaboration, Pharmacia & Upjohn will perform safety and efficacy
studies in animals using gene therapy vectors produced by Cell Genesys. The two companies
will consider a further business relationship based on the results of the studies performed
under this collaboration. Financial terms of the collaboration were not disclosed.
Both adenoviral and AAV gene delivery systems will be employed in the collaboration between
Cell Genesys and Pharmacia & Upjohn. Cell Genesys is developing four proprietary gene
delivery systems including adenoviral, AAV, lentiviral and retroviral vectors. The selection of a
specific vector is based on the therapeutic indication, safety considerations, gene delivery
efficiency and other factors. Cell Genesys' broad portfolio of vectors enhances the number of
gene therapy applications that the company or its collaborators can pursue. The company's
adenoviral vectors have been shown to be highly efficient in the genetic modification of both
dividing and nondividing cells. The company's AAV vectors have demonstrated the ability to
deliver genes to nondividing cells with stable gene expression for at least 18 months following
a single injection.
"The collaboration with Pharmacia & Upjohn represents the fourth collaboration entered into by
Cell Genesys in which our gene therapy vectors are combined with therapeutic genes provided
by other companies for evaluation in preclinical studies," stated Stephen A. Sherwin, M.D.,
chairman and chief executive officer of Cell Genesys. "In aggregate, these collaborations
provide significant validation of the breadth and potential commercial value of our proprietary
gene delivery technologies."
During the past year, Cell Genesys has signed four collaborations with other companies
involving its gene delivery technologies and expects that additional technology collaborations
and licensing agreements will be signed in the near future. These collaborations include
transactions in which Cell Genesys acquires commercial rights to the therapeutic genes of
other companies as well as transactions in which Cell Genesys is reimbursed for providing
gene delivery technologies to other companies with gene therapy product opportunities within
their portfolio. An example of the former type of transaction includes a license agreement with
Mitotix, Inc. which provides Cell Genesys with exclusive rights to the gene therapy applications
of p27/p16 cell cycle inhibitor genes in the field of cancer and cardiovascular disease.
Examples of the latter type of transaction include recent agreements with Collateral
Therapeutics, Inc. in cardiovascular gene therapy, EntreMed, Inc. in cancer gene therapy as
well as the new agreement with Pharmacia & Upjohn in the field of animal health.
Cell Genesys is focused on the development and commercialization of gene therapies to treat
major, life-threatening diseases including cancer and cardiovascular disease. The company is
conducting two multicenter Phase II human clinical trials for its GVAX© cancer vaccine in
prostate cancer and a Phase I/II trial of GVAX© vaccine in lung cancer. Preclinical stage
programs include gene therapy for cancer, cardiovascular disorders, hemophilia and
Parkinson's disease. Cell Genesys' assets outside gene therapy include its approximately 22
percent ownership of Abgenix, Inc. (Nasdaq: ABGX) and the company's licensing program in
gene activation technology. |
