Bracewell Represents MD Anderson in Exclusive Licensing Agreement with Intrexon and ZIOPHARM

HOUSTON – Bracewell & Giuliani LLP represented The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in a broad exclusive licensing agreement with Intrexon Corporation and ZIOPHARM Oncology. The agreement includes an exclusive sublicensing agreement through MD Anderson for intellectual property developed at the University of Minnesota for the development of non-viral adoptive cellular cancer therapies.

Under the terms of the agreement, MD Anderson shall receive consideration of $100 million; $50 million from each Intrexon and ZIOPHARM, payable in shares of their respective common stock, as well as a commitment of $15 to $20 million annually over three years for researching and developing the technologies. The parties will enter into additional collaboration and technology transfer agreements to accelerate technology and clinical development.

The licensed technologies arise from the laboratory of Laurence Cooper, M.D., Ph.D., professor of pediatrics at MD Anderson and Perry Hackett, Ph.D., professor within the College of Biological Sciences at Minnesota. The Cooper and Hackett laboratories have pioneered the design and clinical investigation of novel chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapies using non-viral gene integration platforms, as well as innovative universal donor approaches. When combined with Intrexon’s technology suite and ZIOPHARM’s clinically tested RTS-interleukin-12 modules, the resulting aggregation of the proprietary methods and technologies may help realize the promise of genetically modified CAR T cells by tightly controlling cell expansion and activation in the body, minimizing off-target effects and toxicity while maximizing therapeutic efficacy.

Bracewell attorneys working on the transaction included:

Partners: Charles H. Still Jr.

Counsel: Ian R. Brown