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 The accord, which it announced on Monday, gives Novartis access to
four pre-clinical programs aiming to help prevent tumors from
evading the immune system, including one that targets so-called
regulatory T cell populations that can migrate into tumors and
impair the body's ability to fight the disease.
Novartis has been expanding its cancer-fighting arsenal by striking
deals with smaller companies as it races to keep pace with rivals
including Roche, Merck and Bristol Myers.
Last year, Novartis acquired Admune Therapeutics and forged
licensing agreements with small drug developers Xoma and
Palobiofarma as part of this same push.
"This alliance is another building block in our strategy to develop
a portfolio of programs that we believe will lead the next wave of
immuno-oncology medicines," said Mark Fishman, president of
Novartis's research arm, on the deal with Surface.
Surface Oncology Chief Executive Officer Detlev Biniszkiewicz was
previously head of oncology strategy at AstraZeneca and a former
manager at Novartis under Fishman.
The Surface programs that Novartis is buying access to also focus on
inhibitory cytokines, which help suppress immune response, and
immunosuppressive metabolites that may contribute to a cancer's
ability to survive.
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Novartis plans to test Surfaces' investigatory therapies as
stand-alone monotherapies, as well as in combination with other
drugs within its portfolios, the Swiss company said.
Under the terms of the agreement, Surface is eligible to receive up
to $170 million in upfront, equity, and near-term milestone
payments, Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Surface said in a
statement.
Surface is also eligible to get up to double-digit royalties on
product sales, it said, adding the company has the option to retain
U.S. development and commercialization rights for at least half of
the collaboration’s programs.
(Reporting by Michael Shields and John Miller in Zurich; Editing by
Joshua Franklin and Alexander Smith)
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