Gene therapy company bluebird bio and cancer immunotherapy company Gritstone Oncology are working together to research, develop and produce a cancer treatment product that will use cell therapy.
The companies announced the $30 million collaboration on Thursday, Aug. 23. According to a press release, Gritstone will use its artificial intelligence (AI) platform to analyze specific tumors, identify tumor-specific targets and natural T-cell receptors (TCRs) directed at those targets. Bluebird bio will then use the established cell-therapy platforms to develop, manufacture and produce commercially.
Per the agreement, Gritstone will provide “10 tumor-specific targets across several tumor types and, in certain cases, TCRs directed to those targets” to bluebird bio. Bluebird will pay Gritstone a total of $30 million—$20 million in an upfront payment and $10 million in the form of an equity investment.
“We believe that our artificial intelligence-based approach to identifying tumor-specific targets and corresponding, naturally occurring TCRs, combined with bluebird bio’s expertise in gene and cell therapy, will allow us to develop cellular immunotherapies against differentiated oncology targets. We look forward to collaborating with the bluebird bio team in order to develop innovative treatments for patients in need,” Andrew Allen, MD, PhD, president and CEO of Gritstone Oncology, said in the release.
Danielle covers Clinical Innovation & Technology as a senior news writer for TriMed Media. Previously, she worked as a news reporter in northeast Missouri and earned a journalism degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She's also a huge fan of the Chicago Cubs, Bears and Bulls.