Selexis and Xencor enter strategic agreement for cell line development
As per the new agreement, Selexis will provide various cell line-related services, including personnel, laboratory equipment, laboratory space, and access to the SUREtechnologyPlatform™.
Specifically, the companies will collaborate on selected multi-specific antibody gene expression and cell line development programs.
Igor Fisch, CEO of Selexis told us the agreement marks a long-term commitment by both Selexis and Xencor, a relationship which began with a service agreement in 2011.
“It ensures dedicated resources to Xencor from Selexis, with shared project workloads and commitment by both sides,” he said. “It is thus a win-win partnership.”
According to Fisch, the “significant benefits obtained from having consistency in the project team make this strategy attractive and, above all, extremely efficient to rapidly identify and match potential candidate drugs with a high expression mammalian cell line to rapidly start product manufacturing and clinical trials.”
The financial incentive for the companies stems from the predictability of the work load, which allows for better control of project costs, budgets, and profitability.
“What we envision is the continued strengthening of our relationship,” said Fisch, who added that the companies see the agreement as a way to ensrue the highest quality of dedicated service for the Xencor projects and for Xencor.
“It provides for great efficiency in our working relationship by maximizing the outputs of the committed resources and, hopefully, accelerating timelines,” he said.
Ultimately, Fish said the agreement will “rapidly expand” Selexis’ candidate clinical trial drug portfolio and as such, maximize the company’s value with the combined milestone and royalties associated with each projects.
With the agreement in place the next step will be working together to begin collaborating on selected multi-specific antibody gene expression and cell line development programs.
“Our goal is to minimize the timelines from the date a candidate gene is selected to the first dose in patients,” Fisch said.
