AstraZeneca to Acquire TeneoTwo in Deal Worth Up to $1.26 Billion

AstraZeneca is acquiring TeneoTwo and its Phase I clinical stage B-lymphocyte antigen cluster of differentiation (CD) 19/CD 3 (CD19/CD3) T-cell engager, TNF-486, in a deal worth up to $1.26 billion. One hundred million dollars will be paid upfront, with additional payments contingent on achieving various commercial and regulatory milestones. The deal is expected to close in the third quarter of 2022.

According to a July 5, 2022 press release, TNB-486 is designed for B-cell hematologic malignancies, including diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and follicular lymphoma. It is a T-cell engager, a bispecific molecule engineered to redirect the immune system’s T-cells to recognize and kill cancer cells. By binding to CD19, an antigen expressed on B-cells, and the CD3 receptor on T-cells, it activates and recruits T-cells to CD19-expressing tumors. The drug is currently under evaluation for relapsed and refractory B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

“By redirecting the body’s natural immune response to target B-cell malignancies, TNB-486 alone or in combination with CD20-targeted therapy could potentially deepen clinical responses and improve patient outcomes,” said Anas Younes, senior vice-president, Hematology R&D, AstraZeneca, in the press release. “We believe this innovative molecule, which was designed to optimize the therapeutic window of T-cell activation, will enable us to explore novel combinations that have the potential to become new standards of care in this setting.”