20 February 2020 - - France-based biopharmaceutical company Cellectis (PAR: ALCLS) (NASDAQ: CLLS) (Euronext Growth: ALCLS) (NASDAQ: CLLS) and pharmaceutical company Servier have executed a binding term sheet to enter into an amendment to the agreement initially signed between the two companies in 2014, the company said.

Under the term sheet, Cellectis shall grant to Servier, through an amendment to the agreement, an expanded exclusive worldwide license to develop and commercialize all next generation gene-edited allogeneic CAR T-cell products targeting CD19, including rights to ALLO-501A, an anti-CD19 candidate in which the rituximab recognition domains have been removed, either directly or through its US sublicensee Allogene Therapeutics.

In this amendment, financial terms will be improved to include an additional 27.6m (EUR 25m) upfront payment, as well as up to USD 410m (EUR 370m) in clinical and commercial milestones.

The royalty rate will be increased from tiered high single-digit royalties to flat low double-digit royalties based on net sales of products.

In addition, pursuant to the amendment, Cellectis shall regain exclusive control over the five undisclosed allogeneic CAR T-cell targets previously covered by the initial agreement.
The amendment will be effective upon its execution.

UCART19/ALLO-501 and ALLO-501A are two anti-CD19 allogeneic CAR-T product candidates being jointly developed under a clinical development collaboration between Servier and Allogene Therapeutics based on an exclusive license granted by Cellectis to Servier.

Such products utilise Cellectis' technologies, including TALEN gene editing technology pioneered and controlled by Cellectis. Servier grants to Allogene exclusive rights to UCART19 in the US while Servier retains exclusive rights for all other countries.

Cellectis is developing the first of its kind allogeneic approach for CAR-T immunotherapies in oncology, pioneering the concept of off-the-shelf and ready-to-use gene-edited CAR T-cells to treat cancer patients.

As a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company with over 20 years of expertise in gene editing, Cellectis is developing life-changing product candidates utilising TALEN, its gene editing technology, and PulseAgile, its pioneering electroporation system to harness the power of the immune system in order to target and eradicate cancer cells.

As part of its commitment to a cure, Cellectis remains dedicated to its goal of providing life-saving UCART product candidates to address unmet needs for multiple cancers including acute myeloid leukemia, B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL), multiple myeloma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Cellectis headquarters are in Paris, France, with additional locations in New York, New York and Raleigh, North Carolina. Cellectis is listed on the NASDAQ Global Market (NASDAQ: CLLS).

Servier is an international pharmaceutical company governed by a non-profit foundation, with its headquarters in France (Suresnes). With a strong international presence in 149 countries and a turnover of EUR 4.2 bn in 2018, Servier employs 22 000 people worldwide.

Entirely independent, the group reinvests 25% of its turnover (excluding generics) in research and development and uses all its profits for development.

Corporate growth is driven by Servier's constant search for innovation in five areas of excellence: cardiovascular, immune-inflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases, cancer and diabetes, as well as by its activities in high-quality generic drugs.

Servier also offers eHealth solutions beyond drug development.