LONDON (ShareCast) - (ShareCast News) - Gene and cell therapy group Oxford BioMedica announced on Thursday that it has completed a major new collaboration and licence agreement with Bioverativ, for the development and manufacture of lentiviral vectors to treat haemophilia.
The London-listed firm said the agreement included a licence to use its 'LentiVector Enabled' technology, and access to its industrial-scale manufacturing technology.

Under the terms of the agreement, Oxford BioMedica would receive a $5m upfront payment from Bioverativ.

Oxford BioMedica would also be eligible to receive various milestone payments, potentially worth in excess of $100m, and undisclosed royalties on net sales of Bioverativ's lentiviral vector haemophilia products.

Bioverativ would also fund process development and scale-up activities for its lentiviral vector haemophilia products at Oxford BioMedica.

The company said the agreement also allowed for the parties to put in place a clinical supply agreement for GMP manufacturing of haemophilia products at Oxford BioMedica.

"Today's news demonstrates the value of our LentiVector Enabled platform and our leading capabilities and reputation in the industrial scale-up for lentiviral vectors for clinical and commercial supply," said Oxford Biomedica CEO John Dawson.

"Bioverativ's investment in haemophilia gene therapy underlines the potential of lentiviral vectors for use for in vivo gene therapy."

Dawson said the new deal, potentially worth in excess of $100m, demonstrated Oxford BioMedica's strategy of building multiple partnerships with leaders in their therapeutic categories, and would support the group's continued growth.

"Oxford BioMedica is recognised as a world leader in the field of development and manufacturing of lentiviral vectors and we are delighted to be supporting Bioverativ in the development of gene therapy products to treat haemophilia."

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