Celldex in deal with university on Ab development

US firm Celldex Therapeutics has entered into an exclusive patent and know-how license agreement with the University of Southampton, UK, to develop human antibodies towards CD27, a potentially-important target for immunotherapy of various cancers. In preclinical models, antibodies to CD27 have been shown to mediate antitumor effects alone, and may be particularly effective in combination with other immunotherapies. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

"CD27 is a critical molecule in the activation pathway of lymphocytes. It is downstream from CD40, and may provide a novel way to regulate the immune responses," said Tibor Keler, Celldex' chief scientific officer.

"This antibody program brings more opportunity to our pipeline, and allows us to further demonstrate our development capabilities," added Anthony Marucci, chief executive. "We will continue to pursue additional partnerships with both biopharmaceutical companies and other academic institutions to exploit our ability to generate fully-human antibodies," he added.