Japanese pharmaceutical companies Mersana Therapeutics and Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. are collaborating on a project through which Takeda will gain rights to anti-tumor drug XMT-1522 outside the U.S. and Canada.
Furthermore, Mersana's top product candidate, as well as a partnership already in place, will be extended so Takeda will have more access to Fleximer, an antibody-drug conjugate product manufactured by Mersana.
“We believe XMT-1522 has the potential to make a dramatic difference for HER2 low-expressing patients who currently have limited treatment options and are confident that our Fleximer-based technology can address significant patient needs not currently met by other ADC platform technologies,” Anna Protopapas, Mersana's president and CEO, said. “Takeda’s knowledge of oncology makes the company the best partner for us to progress our transformative platform and advance XMT-1522 into the clinic.”
When Phase I studies are concluded for either product, Mersana will be able to co-develop or co-commercialize the products in the U.S. It is anticipated that an Investigational New Drug Application (IND) will be filed by Mersana for XMT-1522 with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sometime in 2016.
While both companies will be involved in XMT-1522's development, Mersana will conduct the Phase I trial.
“This is our third collaboration with Mersana in less than two years," Dr. Andrew Plump, Takeda's chief medical and scientific officer, said. "We see great potential for Mersana’s Fleximer technology, combined with our oncology expertise and resources. We, along with the global oncology community, have made great strides in our fight against cancer, and we know that achieving our aspiration to cure cancer relies on great partnerships and innovation. We look forward to progressing these collaborations and, together, advancing the science of cancer care.”
