February 5, 2020
BRISBANE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Feb. 5, 2020– Aimmune Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: AIMT), a biopharmaceutical company developing treatments for potentially life-threatening food allergies, today announced it has obtained an exclusive worldwide license to develop and commercialize the investigational humanized monoclonal antibody XmAb®7195 from Xencor, Inc.
XmAb7195, which has been renamed AIMab7195, was originally developed by Xencor for the treatment of allergic asthma. It uses three distinct mechanisms of action to reduce blood serum IgE and suppress IgE-producing cells. Aimmune initially plans to develop AIMab7195 as an adjunctive treatment with select Characterized Oral Desensitized ImmunoTherapy (CODIT™) programs, including PALFORZIA™, to explore treatment outcomes in patients with food allergies.
“As we look to the future of food allergy treatments, we are excited to explore the potential of oral immunotherapy to achieve greater levels of desensitization – and perhaps even remission – when combined with adjunctive biologics that target immune pathways,” said Jayson Dallas, M.D., President and CEO of Aimmune. “In-licensing AIMab7195 demonstrates our commitment to enriching our pipeline and strengthening Aimmune’s global leadership in the evolving therapeutic landscape of food allergy treatments.”
“Aimmune’s focus, clinical success and regulatory expertise in food allergy demonstrate their capability to advance AIMab7195 with highly complementary CODIT pipeline programs to create new options for people living with food allergy,” said Bassil Dahiyat, Ph.D., President and CEO of Xencor. “AIMab7195 is designed to reduce levels of IgE, a key mediator of allergic response, and there is strong scientific rationale that this reduction would synergize with the activity of desensitization therapies.”
Under the terms of the agreement, Aimmune will make an upfront payment to Xencor of $5 million in cash and $5 million in equity, equivalent to 156,238 newly issued shares of Aimmune common stock at $32.00/share. Xencor also is eligible to receive up to $385 million based on the achievement of certain clinical development, regulatory and commercialization milestones — beginning with the initiation of a Phase 2 clinical trial — and is eligible to receive a high single-digit to mid-teen percentage of royalties upon commercialization of AIMab7195. Aimmune will be solely responsible for costs related to the development of AIMab7195 and plans to provide a development plan in the coming months.
About AIMab7195 (formerly XmAb®7195)
AIMab7195 is an anti-IgE monoclonal antibody with enhanced binding to the Fc gamma receptor IIb (FcγRIIb). IgE recognizes and interacts with allergens and, as a result, can activate immune cells, such as mast cells and basophils, that drive an allergic response in patients. AIMab7195 is designed to clear IgE rapidly from circulation, to prevent the production of IgE by preventing the activation of IgE-positive B cells, and to block IgE from interacting with its receptor on immune cells. AIMab7195 has been evaluated in two Phase 1 studies that enrolled more than 100 healthy volunteers and patients with allergy and atopic disease.
About Aimmune
Aimmune Therapeutics, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company that aspires to become the global leader in developing curative therapies and solutions for patients with food allergies. With a mission to improve the lives of people with food allergies, Aimmune is developing and commercializing oral treatments for potentially life-threatening food allergies. The Company’s Characterized Oral Desensitization ImmunoTherapy (CODIT™) approach is intended to provide meaningful levels of protection against allergic reactions resulting from accidental exposure to food allergens by desensitizing patients with defined, precise amounts of key allergens. Aimmune has one FDA-approved medicine for peanut allergy and other investigational therapies in development to treat other food allergies. For more information, please visit www.aimmune.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements contained in this press release regarding matters that are not historical facts are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Because such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding: Aimmune’s expectations regarding the potential benefits of AIMab7195; and Aimmune’s expectations regarding potential applications of the CODIT™ approach to treating life-threatening food allergies. Risks and uncertainties that contribute to the uncertain nature of the forward-looking statements include: the expectation that Aimmune will need additional funds to finance its operations; Aimmune’s dependence on the success of PALFORZIA; Aimmune’s reliance on third parties for the manufacture of AIMab7195, PALFORZIA and other product candidates; possible regulatory developments in the United States and foreign countries; and Aimmune’s ability to attract and retain senior management personnel. These and other risks and uncertainties are described more fully in Aimmune’s most recent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2019. All forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date on which they were made. Aimmune undertakes no obligation to update such statements to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date on which they were made.
This press release concerns PALFORZIA (AR101), which has been approved for marketing by the FDA in the United States and has not been approved for marketing by the EMA or Swissmedic. AR101 in Europe is currently limited to investigational use, and no representation is made as to its safety or effectiveness for the purposes for which it is being investigated.
AIMab7195 TM, PALFORZIA™, AIMMUNE™, AIMMUNE THERAPEUTICS™ and CODIT™ are trademarks of Aimmune Therapeutics, Inc.
Xencor® and XmAb® are registered trademarks of Xencor, Inc.
Source: Aimmune Therapeutics, Inc.
Investors:
DeDe Sheel
(917) 834-1494
dsheel@aimmune.com
Media:
Julie Normart
(559) 974-3245
jnormart@w2ogroup.com
Lauren Barbiero
(646) 564-2156
lbarbiero@w2ogroup.com
FDA Approves Aimmune’s PALFORZIA as First Treatment for Peanut Allergy
