New Licensing Deal Empowers GC Cell To Lead CAR-NK Therapy Development

GC Cell announced that it has entered into a three-party licensing agreement with its U.S. affiliate, Artiva Biotherapeutics, and Merck & Co. in the U.S. and Canada (MSD). The major focus is to advance and commercialize two CAR-NK, chimeric antigen receptor-natural killer therapy candidates. These therapies will be developed by utilizing MSD’s intellectual property.

CAR-NK candidates from a research collaboration between Artiva and MSD will be exclusively licensed to GC Cell; GC Cell will lead the development process in world markets. GC Cell is committed to the continued development of innovative treatments for cancer patients. The firm revealed to the press while preferring that details about the agreement remain private.

This new partnership follows MSD’s June decision to end its $1.86 billion deal with Artiva for CAR-NK therapy development targeting solid tumours. The original 2021 agreement focused on co-developing three CAR-NK therapies, with Artiva and Merck as primary partners and GC Cell contributing research support. Under the latest deal, GC Cell will assume leadership for research and development, while the arrangement remains a tripartite contract among GC Cell, Artiva, and Merck.