This is an instructive partnership

AbbVie and Turnstone Biologics Announce Global Collaboration on Viral Immunotherapies in Oncology.

https://news.abbvie.com/news/abbvie...ion-on-viral-immunotherapies-in-oncology.htmx

While the deal value is not disclosed, scuttlebutt has it as fairly significant. Of note, Turnstone is testing Ad-MG1-MAGEA3 therapy as a monotherapy and in combination with Merck’s Keytruda in patients with solid tumors.

Just because you are using the current gold-standard in cancer immunotherapy in combo with your product, doesn't neccessarily mean the owner will want/need to formally partner up with you.

These open-label trials are currently in the phase 1 dose-escalation stage, with plans to move into phase 2 in the first half of next year.  Once the trials are over, AbbVie will decide whether to take up its option.


About Turnstone Biologics
Turnstone Biologics is a clinical-stage, immuno-oncology company focused on the development of next-generation oncolytic viral immunotherapies for patients with a broad range of solid tumors. The company's first-of-its-kind investigational oncolytic viral immunotherapies combine the potent tumor-killing effects of an oncolytic virus with a tumor-targeted T-cell vaccine to harness an individual's own immune system to attack the tumor, with the goal of preventing recurrence and delivering a cure. Turnstone Biologics' robust pipeline of early-stage investigational therapies, based on its Maraba (MG1) oncolytic virus platform, are in development for solid tumors. In addition to the MAGEA3 therapy currently in the clinic, Turnstone Biologics expects to enter the clinic in early 2018 with a therapy for HPV+ cancers, and is also developing medicines for multiple other cancers. These immunotherapies are being evaluated as monotherapies and in combination with other cancer therapies, including checkpoint inhibitors. Turnstone has been financed by Versant Ventures, OrbiMed, F-Prime Capital Partners and FACIT.