RICHMOND, Calif., April 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Sangamo BioSciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: SGMO - news) and Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ONXX - news) today announced that the two companies will jointly research and develop novel cancer therapeutics using Sangamo's zinc finger DNA-binding protein transcription factor (``ZFP TF'') technology platform and Onyx's selectively replicating adenovirus technology (``Therapeutic Viruses''). Under the terms of the agreement, the two companies will conduct studies using the combined technology platforms during an investigation period. When product candidates meet certain mutually determined criteria, the companies will equally share research and clinical development costs and jointly commercialize products resulting from the alliance.
ZFP TFs are a class of naturally occurring transcription factors that can be engineered to bind to a precise sequence of DNA to permit the selective regulation of a specific gene. Though there are many kinds of transcription factors, only ZFP TFs are amenable to engineering and capable of targeting a particular gene or genes of interest. Sangamo's ZFP TF technology can be used to activate or repress virtually any gene.
Onyx is developing a common cold virus (referred to as an adenovirus) that can effectively infect and kill cancer cells leaving normal cells unaffected. Onyx is also testing Therapeutic Viruses capable of delivering a therapeutic payload, such as an engineered ZFP TF, into cells. Under this alliance, Onyx's Therapeutic Virus will be engineered to deliver a ZFP TF, whose protein product has been shown to augment anti-tumor immune responses, thereby creating an Armed Therapeutic Virus(TM).
``By combining our technologies, we hope to create an Armed Therapeutic Virus(TM) capable of treating the disease both at the tumor site and systemically,'' said Hollings Renton, Onyx's chairman and chief executive officer. ``The resulting therapeutic will have the potential to be extremely specific, while at the same time allowing treatment of cancer throughout the body after systemic administration of the virus.''
``The ability to provoke an anti-tumor immune response and treat metastatic cancer would be a significant improvement over existing approaches, and together with Onyx, we have the potential to create such a product,'' said Edward Lanphier, Sangamo's president and chief executive officer. ``This alliance further supports the potential of our ZFP TF technology to be applied in multiple commercially important markets, including its direct use as a human therapeutic.''... |
