Arcellx, a US-based clinical-stage biotechnology company, and Kite, a Gilead company, are partnering to co-develop and co-commercialize the former’s CART-ddBCMA, a late-stage product candidate.

CART-ddBCMA, currently in phase 2 clinical development, is intended for the treatment of patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma.

Arcellx and Kite will share development, clinical trial, and commercialization costs for CART-ddBCMA.

Post-closing Arcellx will receive a $225 million upfront payment and $100 million equity investment from Kite as well as up to $3.9 billion in total contingent payments.

Rami Elghandour — Arcellx Chairman and CEO said: “This collaboration marks a significant achievement for the myeloma field and Arcellx.

“Combining our potentially best-in-class CART-ddBCMA therapy for multiple myeloma with Kite’s global leadership in cell therapy provides the foundation for us to commercialize our therapy at scale.”

Arcellx and Kite will co-commercialize and share the profits in the US while Kite will commercialize the product and Arcellx will receive low to mid-teen royalties outside the US.

The transaction will enable Arcellx to continue independently advancing its development pipeline and researching new product candidates beyond myeloma.

Christi Shaw — Kite CEO said: “The collaboration with Arcellx enables Kite to expand into a new area of high unmet need and bring a potentially best-in-class cell therapy to help many patients.

“Cell therapy has proven it can change the way cancer is treated by creating a potentially curative therapy for an individual patient, engineered from their own T cells.”

CART-ddBCMA has received fast track, orphan drug, and regenerative medicine advanced therapy designations from the US Food and Drug Administration.

Anticipated to close in Q1 2023, the transaction is subject to customary closing conditions.

  Arcellx, CART-ddBCMA, Christi Shaw, Gilead Sciences, Kite Pharma, Multiple myeloma, Rami Elghandour, USA