Adaptimmune inks 10-year deal with Thermo Fisher for T Cell expansion tech
The Dynabeads CD3/CD28 Cell Therapy System (CTS) was developed by Life Technologies - now part of Thermo Fisher - and consists of ready-to-use beads coated with antibodies directed against the TCR/CD3 and co-stimulatory CD28 receptors that are required for optimal T cell expansion.
In an announcement today, Adaptimmune has extended a previous deal with Thermo Fisher and entered into a 10-year development and supply agreement, to use the beads in the manufacture of its SPEAR (Specific Peptide Enhanced Affinity Receptor) T-cell therapies.
Adaptimmune’s SPEAR therapies are based on isolating T-cells from the blood of cancer patients, transferring affinity enhanced T cell receptors (TCR) - modified to recognize cancer cells - into the cells, before activated and expanded using the Thermo Fisher tech. These affinity enhanced cells are then introduced back into the patient.
According to Thermo Fisher, the beads allow for easy physiological activation of human T cells, without the need for preparing antigen-presenting cells (APCs).
“We are delighted to expand our collaboration with Thermo Fisher and secure continuity of supply of Dynabeads through commercialization,” said Adaptimmune’s CTO Gwen Binder-Scholl.
“Dynabeads CD3/CD28 have unique properties which we believe optimize the manufacture of our SPEAR T-cell therapies, including the generation of younger and healthier T-cells leading to prolonged persistence of therapeutic cells in the blood.”
In 2014, the Oxford, UK-based firm entered into an agreement worth up to $350m with GSK to co-develop Adaptimmune’s cancer testis antigen programme, NY-ESO-1, and several other TCR-targeted candidates.