LAVA Therapeutics N.V. (NASDAQ: LVTX) shares soared 106% as the company announced that Janssen Biotech, Inc., a part of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, chose a lead candidate aimed at an undisclosed tumor-associated antigen for further development towards clinical settings.

GAMMABODY™ PLATFORM
LAVA primarily focuses on revolutionizing cancer therapy by developing its Gammabody™ platform. This platform enables them to create bispecific gamma delta T cell engagers that can activate a specific subset of gamma-delta T cells called Vγ9Vδ2 (Vgamma9 Vdelta2) T cells. By utilizing this approach, they aim to enhance the natural recognition of tumors, guide Vγ9Vδ2 T cells to target the tumor cells directly and trigger a cascade of immune responses.
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What sets their Gammabody™ drug candidates apart is their exceptional performance and safety profiles observed in preclinical studies. Compared to other bispecific T cell engager approaches, their candidates have demonstrated superior efficacy and preferred targeting tumor cells. This targeted approach has the potential to minimize toxicity in healthy tissues.
In May 2020, LAVA entered into a research collaboration and license agreement with Janssen, a subsidiary of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson. This collaboration aimed to discover and develop novel bispecific antibody-based gamma delta T cell engagers for cancer treatment. The agreement was facilitated by Johnson & Johnson Innovation, emphasizing their commitment to fostering innovation in the field.
As part of the collaboration, LAVA had the opportunity to receive potential milestone payments and royalties based on the successful development, regulatory approvals, and commercialization of the candidates. This incentivized LAVA to actively pursue the discovery and advancement of promising lead candidates.
The collaboration represents a remarkable milestone many early-stage biotech companies aspire to achieve. Partnering with a program brings numerous benefits, including reduced risk of dilution through milestone payments as the trials advance and streamlined commercialization once the product receives approval.
Under the terms of the agreement, Janssen will assume responsibility for the selected candidate’s future clinical development, manufacturing, and commercialization. This includes bearing the costs and expenses associated with these activities.
Stephen Hurly, LAVA Therapeutics’s president and chief executive officer, expressed satisfaction with Janssen’s selection of a lead candidate for clinical studies. He emphasized LAVA’s pioneering role in developing gamma-delta bispecific antibodies through their proprietary Gammabody platform. This platform and LAVA’s extensive expertise in bispecific antibody development position them at the forefront of advancing novel therapies for cancer patients.
In summary, LAVA Therapeutics’ collaboration with Janssen has reached a significant milestone in selecting a lead candidate for further development toward clinical studies. This progress underscores LAVA’s dedication to leveraging its Gammabody platform and expertise in bispecific antibody development to revolutionize cancer treatment.
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