Isarna Therapeutics Divests Proprietary Oligonucleotide to Autotelic

Munich, Germany-based Isarna Therapeutics GmbH, which develops growth factor beta (TGF-β) isoform targeted antisense therapeutics, and Autotelic Inc., a specialist in therapeutic drug monitoring and development, have announced an asset sale and purchase agreement for trabedersen, Isarna’s TGF-β2 antisense oligonucleotide. Autotelic will acquire full and worldwide rights to develop trabedersen, which had previously reached Phase 3 clinical evaluation to treat recurrent high-grade glioma, a type of tumor that occurs in the brain and spinal cord. No financial details of the agreement have been disclosed.

“Autotelic Inc. has a unique expertise and resources that enables them to effectively advance trabedersen,” said Philippe Calais, Ph.D., president and CEO of Isarna Therapeutics. “The agreement, made possible by our partners at Egamid Ltd., recognizes our leadership in TGF-β and our efforts to bring trabedersen to patients while allowing us remain focused on our new generation of antisense oligonucleotides.”

Autotelic uses therapeutic drug monitoring to achieve consistent drug levels benefiting both efficacy and toxicity in multiple indications. The company’s leadership has long-standing experience in the development of cancer therapies as part of the team that led the early development of Abraxane, a protein-bound paclitaxel compound approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and European Medicines Agency for the treatment of solid tumors, which was acquired by Celgene in 2010 when it merged with Abraxis BioScience Inc.

Subsequent to Abraxis, the team formed Igdrasol Inc. to develop next generation Abraxane. Igdrasol recently was acquired by NantPharma in a deal that could be worth as much as $1.3 billion.

“Trabedersen is an excellent fit for our therapeutic drug monitoring program and provides an exciting opportunity to enhance the development of a truly novel treatment,” said Vuong Trieu, Ph.D., CEO of Autotelic. “We are looking forward to advancing this promising antisense oligonucleotide further.”

Trabedersen, developed to target the human TGF-β2 mRNA, is believed to reverse TGF-β’s immunosuppressive effects, rendering the tumor visible to a patient’s immune system and resulting in priming and specific activation of the patient’s anti-tumor immune response. Trabedersen was developed by Isarna’s predecessor company at the Biopark in Regensburg. Trabedersen has been granted orphan designation for three tumor indications: high grade glioma (U.S., EU), pancreatic cancer (U.S., EU) and malignant melanoma (U.S.).