China-based JW Therapeutics Co., Ltd (HKG: 2126) has issued a stock exchange announcement revealing a strategic collaboration with its major shareholder Juno. The deal sees Juno grant licenses to patents and know-how in order to develop, manufacture, and commercialize a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy targeting the solid tumor antigen DLL3 in the territory of Greater China.
Deal Details and Rights
The deal covers exclusive rights to the development of a DLL3 CAR-T construct produced by Juno, and non-exclusive rights to related Juno diagnostics in support of that therapy. Juno has the option to take up co-commercialization rights in China for the resulting product, which would require a milestone payment of up to USD 50 million to JW. If that option is not exercised, JW will be required to pay reimbursements and milestone payments of up to USD 35 million to Juno in order to retain rights to the product, and will also pay royalties on future net sales. The deal still requires approval from shareholders.
Company Background and DLL3 Construct
JW was established in 2016 as a joint venture between Juno Therapeutics – later acquired by Celgene and now part of Bristol-Myers Squibb – and China-based CRO WuXi AppTec Co., Ltd. Juno retains a 17.09% equity holding in JW. The DLL3 construct produced by Juno is described as a pre-clinical candidate that has already produced promising data indicating low toxicity and a strong tumor-killing ability even at lower levels of target expression. Delta-like canonical Notch ligand 3 (DLL3) belongs to the Notch receptor ligand family and is involved in Notch signaling. DLL3 is highly expressed in various lung cancers and neuroendocrine tumors, but rarely in normal tissues.
Future Prospects and Strategic Implications
This strategic partnership positions JW Therapeutics to advance the development of innovative CAR-T therapies targeting solid tumors, leveraging Juno’s expertise and intellectual property. By focusing on the DLL3 antigen, JW aims to address significant unmet medical needs in oncology and improve patient outcomes through targeted immunotherapies.-Fineline Info & Tech
