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Achilles Therapeutics (NASDAQ: ACHL) has announced the sale of key technology assets to AstraZeneca for $12 million. The transaction includes the transfer of commercial license for TRACERx data and samples, one of the largest tumor evolution studies with over 3,200 tumor samples from 800+ lung cancer patients. AstraZeneca will also take over Achilles’ Material Acquisition Platform (MAP), which has collected tumor tissue and blood samples from nearly 300 cancer patients across multiple solid tumor indications.
This transaction marks the conclusion of Achilles’ strategic review announced in September 2024. The company plans to implement additional measures, including workforce reduction and decreasing its Board of Directors size while maintaining Nasdaq and SEC compliance.
Achilles Therapeutics (NASDAQ: ACHL) ha annunciato la vendita di importanti beni tecnologici ad AstraZeneca per 12 milioni di dollari. La transazione comprende il trasferimento della licenza commerciale per i dati e i campioni TRACERx, uno dei più grandi studi evolutivi sui tumori con oltre 3.200 campioni tumorali provenienti da oltre 800 pazienti affetti da cancro ai polmoni. AstraZeneca assumerà anche la Material Acquisition Platform (MAP) di Achilles, che ha raccolto campioni di tessuto tumorale e sangue da quasi 300 pazienti affetti da diverse indicazioni di tumori solidi.
Questa transazione segna la conclusione della revisione strategica di Achilles annunciata a settembre 2024. L’azienda prevede di implementare ulteriori misure, inclusa la riduzione della forza lavoro e la diminuzione delle dimensioni del Consiglio di Amministrazione, mantenendo al contempo la conformità con Nasdaq e SEC.
Achilles Therapeutics (NASDAQ: ACHL) ha anunciado la venta de activos tecnológicos clave a AstraZeneca por 12 millones de dólares. La transacción incluye la transferencia de la licencia comercial para los datos y muestras de TRACERx, uno de los estudios de evolución tumoral más grandes con más de 3,200 muestras tumorales de más de 800 pacientes con cáncer de pulmón. AstraZeneca también se hará cargo de la Material Acquisition Platform (MAP) de Achilles, que ha recolectado muestras de tejido tumoral y sangre de casi 300 pacientes con múltiples indicaciones de tumores sólidos.
Esta transacción marca la conclusión de la revisión estratégica de Achilles anunciada en septiembre de 2024. La empresa planea implementar medidas adicionales, incluida la reducción de personal y la disminución del tamaño de su Junta Directiva, manteniendo al mismo tiempo el cumplimiento con Nasdaq y la SEC.
Achilles Therapeutics (NASDAQ: ACHL)는 AstraZeneca에 1,200만 달러에 핵심 기술 자산을 판매한다고 발표했습니다. 이 거래에는 TRACERx 데이터와 샘플에 대한 상업적 라이선스의 이전이 포함되며, 이는 800명 이상의 폐암 환자로부터 3,200개 이상의 종양 샘플을 수집한 가장 큰 종양 진화 연구 중 하나입니다. AstraZeneca는 또한 거의 300명의 암 환자들로부터 다수의 고형 종양 표적 샘플을 수집한 Material Acquisition Platform (MAP)을 인수하게 됩니다.
이 거래는 2024년 9월에 발표된 Achilles의 전략 검토의 종료를 나타냅니다. 회사는 직원 수 감소와 이사회 규모 축소를 포함한 추가적인 조치를 시행할 계획이며, Nasdaq 및 SEC 규정을 준수하는 동안 이를 유지할 것입니다.
Achilles Therapeutics (NASDAQ: ACHL) a annoncé la vente d’actifs technologiques clés à AstraZeneca pour 12 millions de dollars. La transaction comprend le transfert de la licence commerciale pour les données et échantillons TRACERx, l’une des plus grandes études sur l’évolution des tumeurs avec plus de 3,200 échantillons tumoraux provenant de plus de 800 patients atteints de cancer du poumon. AstraZeneca prendra également en charge la Material Acquisition Platform (MAP) d’Achilles, qui a recueilli des échantillons de tissu tumoral et de sang chez près de 300 patients atteints de divers types de tumeurs solides.
Cette transaction marque la conclusion de l’examen stratégique d’Achilles annoncé en septembre 2024. L’entreprise prévoit de mettre en œuvre des mesures supplémentaires, notamment une réduction de son personnel et une diminution de la taille de son conseil d’administration, tout en maintenant la conformité avec le Nasdaq et la SEC.
Achilles Therapeutics (NASDAQ: ACHL) hat den Verkauf von wichtigen Technologie-Assets an AstraZeneca für 12 Millionen Dollar bekannt gegeben. Die Transaktion umfasst die Übertragung der kommerziellen Lizenz für TRACERx-Daten und -Proben, eine der größten Studien zur Tumorevolution mit über 3.200 Tumorproben von mehr als 800 Lungenkrebs-Patienten. AstraZeneca wird auch die Material Acquisition Platform (MAP) von Achilles übernehmen, die Tumorgewebe- und Blutproben von fast 300 Krebspatienten aus mehreren soliden Tumorindikationen gesammelt hat.
Diese Transaktion markiert den Abschluss der strategischen Überprüfung von Achilles, die im September 2024 angekündigt wurde. Das Unternehmen plant, zusätzliche Maßnahmen umzusetzen, darunter eine Reduzierung der Belegschaft und die Verringerung der Größe seines Vorstands, während es die Vorschriften von Nasdaq und SEC einhält.
Positive
- Sale of technology assets to AstraZeneca for $12 million
- Strategic transaction provides immediate cash inflow
Negative
- Further reduction in employee headcount planned
- Decrease in Board of Directors size
- Divestment of key technology assets may limit future growth potential
Insights
For retail investors, this development likely indicates challenging times ahead for Achilles, as the company appears to be moving toward a lean operational structure. The sale of these valuable research assets, while generating immediate capital, could limit future growth potential and research capabilities. Companies typically sell core assets when facing financial pressures or pivoting their business strategy substantially.
AstraZeneca’s acquisition of these assets at a relatively modest price point of $12M suggests they saw an opportunity to acquire valuable research infrastructure at a discount. The extensive patient data and biological samples could accelerate AstraZeneca’s oncology R&D efforts, particularly in understanding tumor evolution and developing targeted therapies. For Achilles, divesting these assets indicates a strategic pivot away from their original research direction, potentially limiting their future capabilities in cancer research and development. The transaction effectively transfers valuable intellectual property and research infrastructure to AstraZeneca, strengthening their position in oncology research while potentially weakening Achilles’ competitive position in the field.
– Proprietary data and samples from TRACERx and Achilles’ Material Acquisition Platform (MAP) will be transferred to AstraZeneca under the Transaction –
– Conclusion of Strategic Review –
LONDON, Dec. 24, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Achilles Therapeutics plc (NASDAQ: ACHL) today announced that it has transferred the commercial license of data and samples from the TRACERx® Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) study to AstraZeneca (LSE/STO/Nasdaq: AZN). TRACERx (TRAcking Cancer Evolution through therapy (Rx)), led by Professor Charles Swanton at University College London (UCL), UK, is one of the largest tumor evolution studies to generate deep sequencing multi-region and multi-time-point genetic data from over 3,200 tumor samples from over 800 lung cancer patients. As part of the transaction, AstraZeneca will also take over as sponsor of Achilles’ Material Acquisition Platform (MAP), and receive tumor samples and data collected thus far. MAP is a proprietary network that has collected donor tumor tissue and blood from nearly 300 cancer patients undergoing standard-of-care cancer surgery across multiple solid tumor indications, including lung, melanoma, head and neck, renal, bladder, and breast.
“We are pleased that as a leader in Oncology, AstraZeneca recognizes the scientific value of our TRACERx and MAP assets,” said Dr Iraj Ali, CEO of Achilles Therapeutics. “We believe that these assets have the potential to positively impact Oncology R&D and will support the development of new and improved therapies for cancer patients.”
AstraZeneca has agreed to pay Achilles Therapeutics $12M for the assets in total.
BofA Securities provided strategic financial advice to Achilles for the transaction. Completion of this transaction signals the conclusion of Achilles’ strategic review which was announced in September 2024. Achilles now plans to undertake additional measures, including a further reduction in employee headcount and a decrease in the size of its Board of Directors, while remaining compliant with Nasdaq and SEC requirements.
About Achilles Therapeutics
Achilles is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company that has been developing AI-powered precision T cell therapies targeting clonal neoantigens: protein markers unique to the individual that are expressed on the surface of every cancer cell. Achilles has used DNA sequencing data from each patient, together with its proprietary PELEUSTM bioinformatics platform, to identify clonal neoantigens specific to that patient, to enable and support development of product candidates specifically targeting those clonal neoantigens.
About TRACERx
TRACERx (TRAcking Cancer Evolution through therapy (Rx)), led by Professor Charles Swanton at UCL, is one of the largest tumor evolution studies to generate deep sequencing multi-region and multi-time point genetic data from over 3,200 tumor samples from over 800 lung cancer patients. TRACERx has transformed the understanding of tumor evolution and has convincingly shown that tumors originate from a single cell that evolves in a Darwinian manner and the early (clonal) mutations are preserved in all subsequent primary and metastatic tumor cells. The study, which has generated numerous publications, uncovered important mechanisms of cancer evolution and immune evasion by analyzing genetic signatures in lung tumors and tracking how they evolve over time from diagnosis through to relapse. These findings provide the ability to identify a novel class of tumor markers called clonal neoantigens that are present on all tumor cells yet absent from healthy tissue, making them ideal cancer targets. TRACERx represents the largest investment in lung cancer research by Cancer Research UK.
Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains express or implied forward-looking statements that are based on the Company management’s belief and assumptions and on information currently available to the Company’s management. Forward-looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the Company’s clinical trials and the Company’s beliefs about its goals for the discontinued trials; expectations related to the Company’s cash runway and operating expenses and capital expense requirements; the Company’s ability to engage with third parties who are developing alternative modalities to target clonal neoantigens for the treatment of cancers and the Company’s review and evaluation of potential strategic options and their impact on stockholder value. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, these statements relate to future events or the Company’s future operational or financial performance, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the Company’s actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this press release represent the Company’s views as of the date of this press release. We anticipate that subsequent events and developments will cause the Company’s views to change. However, while the Company may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, the Company has no current intention of doing so except to the extent required by applicable law. You should therefore not rely on these forward-looking statements as representing the Company’s views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.
For further information, please contact:
Meru Advisors
Lee M. Stern
lstern@meruadvisors.com
FAQ
How much did AstraZeneca pay for Achilles Therapeutics’ (ACHL) technology assets?
AstraZeneca agreed to pay Achilles Therapeutics $12 million for the TRACERx and MAP assets.
What assets did Achilles Therapeutics (ACHL) sell to AstraZeneca in December 2024?
Achilles sold the commercial license of TRACERx data and samples, along with the Material Acquisition Platform (MAP), which includes tumor samples and data from cancer patients.
How many patient samples were included in the ACHL TRACERx study sold to AstraZeneca?
The TRACERx study included over 3,200 tumor samples from more than 800 lung cancer patients.
What organizational changes is Achilles Therapeutics (ACHL) planning after the asset sale?
Achilles is planning a further reduction in employee headcount and a decrease in the size of its Board of Directors while maintaining Nasdaq and SEC compliance.
What was included in Achilles Therapeutics’ (ACHL) MAP platform acquisition?
The MAP platform included tumor tissue and blood samples collected from nearly 300 cancer patients across multiple solid tumor indications, including lung, melanoma, head and neck, renal, bladder, and breast.
