Astellas Pharma acquires Potenza Therapeutics and immuno-oncology pipeline

Astellas Pharma announced that it exercised, and closed on its exclusive option to acquire Potenza Therapeutics, Inc. on December 13, 2018, U.S. Eastern Time. This acquisition marks the successful outcome of a collaboration agreement entered into in 2015 to build a portfolio of novel immuno-oncology (IO) therapies. The clinical IO therapies developed through this collaboration may also provide a platform for IO combinations with Astellas� existing non-IO programs for life cycle management and future novel IO combinations. and regulatory T cell function includes: 1. ASP8374/PTZ-201, an anti-TIGIT antibody (immune checkpoint inhibitor) and 2. ASP1948/PTZ-329, an anti-NRP1 antibody (Treg function inhibitor), both of which are currently in Phase 1 clinical studies; 3. ASP1951/PTZ-522, a novel format GITR agonistic antibody (T cell priming & costimulation), which has recently achieved IND clearance. Upon the closing of this transaction, Potenza became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Astellas.