- Collaboration utilizes Artiva’s proprietary off-the-shelf allogeneic NK cell and CAR technology platforms to develop up to three CAR-NK cell therapies targeting solid tumor-associated antigens
- Artiva to receive $30 million upfront payment and up to $612 million per program in potential future development and commercial milestones, and royalties on any future worldwide product sales
- Artiva to develop novel CAR-NK cell therapy candidates and transfer to Merck for clinical development and commercialization
January 28, 2021 08:00 AM Eastern Standard Time
SAN DIEGO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Artiva Biotherapeutics, Inc., an oncology company focused on developing and commercializing primary allogeneic natural killer (NK) cell therapies to treat cancer, announced today that it has entered into an exclusive worldwide collaboration and license agreement with Merck, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, to develop novel chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-NK cell therapies targeting solid tumor-associated antigens. The collaboration will leverage Artiva’s off-the-shelf allogeneic NK cell manufacturing platform, along with its proprietary CAR-NK technology. The collaboration initially includes two CAR-NK programs with an option for a third, none of which are in Artiva’s current or planned pipeline. The agreement provides that Artiva will develop the CAR-NK programs through the first GMP manufacturing campaign and IND preparation, followed by transfer to Merck for clinical and commercial development.
