Quell and AstraZeneca entered a collaboration, exclusive option and license agreement in June 2023 to develop, manufacture and commercialize autologous, engineered Treg cell therapies for two autoimmune disease indications – Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD).
The agreement centres on the application of Quell’s proprietary toolbox of Treg cell engineering modules, including its Foxp3 Phenotype Lock, to develop multi-modular autologous Treg cell therapy candidates in both disease areas.
Quell received $85 million in upfront payments from AstraZeneca and is eligible to receive over $2 billion for further development and commercialization milestones, if successful, plus tiered royalties. In addition, Quell retains an option to co-develop Treg cell therapies from the T1D program with AstraZeneca in the United States in exchange for additional milestone payments and increased royalties on US net sales.
About Quell Therapeutics
Quell Therapeutics is the world leader in developing engineered T-regulatory (Treg) cell therapies that aims to harness, direct and optimize their immune suppressive properties to address serious medical conditions driven by the immune system.
The Company is leveraging its pioneering Foxp3 Phenotype Lock™ technology, unique multi-modular platform and integrated manufacturing capabilities to design and develop a pipeline of highly engineered Treg cell therapies with greater potential for persistence, potency and stability than earlier generations of Treg cell therapy approaches.
Quell’s lead candidate QEL-001 is advancing in the Phase 1/2 LIBERATE clinical trial designed to investigate its ability to induce operational tolerance following liver transplantation, with the potential to protect the post-transplant liver without the need for chronic immunosuppressive medications. Quell is also advancing additional programs in Type 1 Diabetes and Inflammatory Bowel Disease with AstraZeneca, iPSC-derived allogeneic Tregs and multiple discovery research programs. www.quell-tx.com.
Contacts
Luke Henry, Chief Business Officer Quell Therapeutics IR@quell-tx.com
Media: Mark Swallow, Sandi Greenwood, Erica Hollingsworth MEDiSTRAVA Quell-Tx@Medistrava.com
Investors: Corey Davis LifeSci Advisors cdavis@lifesciadvisors.com
