On January 8, 2024 Simcha Therapeutics ("Simcha"), a clinical-stage immunobiology company pioneering first-in-class cytokine treatments in cancer, reported that it has entered into a license and option agreement with Janssen Biotech, Inc. ("Janssen"), a Johnson & Johnson company, where Janssen will work to armor select CAR T-based cell therapy candidates with Simcha’s novel proprietary decoy-resistant IL-18 (DR-18) (Press release, Simcha Therapeutics, JAN 8, 2024, View Source [SID1234639133]). The agreement was facilitated by Johnson & Johnson Innovation.

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Under the terms of the agreement, Janssen will develop, manufacture, and commercialize DR-18 armored cell therapies for a set number of programs. In exchange, Simcha will receive an undisclosed upfront fee, potential option exercise fees and development and commercialization milestone payments.

"Interest in developing IL-18 therapeutic approaches for cancer has continued to increase in recent years, tying back to findings published by our scientific founder that reinvigorated therapeutic interest in this cytokine. Armoring CAR T cells to secrete IL-18 is one of the most exciting areas of research, and we are proud to move the research forward with Janssen," said Sanuj Ravindran, M.D., chief executive officer of Simcha. "We will continue to expand our focus on IL-18 and the range of modalities that have potential to significantly improve outcomes for cancer patients, including through our internal development programs and additional strategic partnerships in the future."