MaxCyte inks new development agreement with KSQ Therapeutics

Cell-based therapeutics and life sciences company MaxCyte has entered into a new development and commercialisation agreement with its existing partner KSQ Therapeutics, it announced on Wednesday.

The AIM-traded firm said that under the agreement, KSQ gained rights to use MaxCyte's ‘Flow Electroporation’ technology and ‘ExPERT’ instruments for the advancement of its engineered tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (‘eTIL’) programmes, which it was developing for the treatment of PD-1 refractory solid tumours.

Under the terms of the deal, KSQ obtained non-exclusive clinical and commercial use rights to MaxCyte's cell engineering platform to develop multiple adoptive cell therapies.

In return, MaxCyte was eligible to receive certain milestone payments in addition to other licensing fees.

“Adoptive cell therapies hold significant potential to improve outcomes for patients that are otherwise unresponsive to current treatments,” said KSQ chief executive officer David Meeker.

“MaxCyte's technology will play an important role in enabling the further development of our eTIL programmes as we work to bring best-in-class, cell-based medicines forward for difficult to treat solid tumours.”

MaxCyte said its ExPERT instrument family represented the “next generation” of clinically-validated electroporation technology for “complex and scalable” cellular engineering.

It added that, by delivering high transfection efficiency with enhanced functionality, the ExPERT platform delivered high-end performance, considered “essential” to enable the next wave of biological and cellular therapeutics.

“We are delighted to have signed this agreement with KSQ Therapeutics, a company that's forging an exciting path in the field of adoptive cell therapies with the potential to deliver significant benefits to patients,” said MaxCyte president and chief executive officer Doug Doerfler.

“This is the fifth commercial licence we have signed this year, demonstrating that MaxCyte is the partner of choice for leading technology companies, like KSQ, that are at the cutting edge of cell therapy and gene editing.”

At 1106 GMT, shares in MaxCyte were up 8.14% at 122.2p.