Initiative aims to advance timely access to innovative therapies for those living with rare conditions
SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Atara Biotherapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATRA), a pioneer in T-cell immunotherapy, leveraging its novel allogeneic EBV T-cell platform to develop transformative therapies for patients with cancer and autoimmune diseases, today announced the Company has joined the Rare Disease Company Coalition. The coalition represents an alliance of innovative life sciences companies committed to discovering, developing and delivering rare disease treatments for the patients they serve.
“Patients living with Epstein-Barr virus-driven post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease (EBV+ PTLD), a rare blood cancer that may develop following a life-saving solid organ or stem cell transplant, are in critical need of therapies specifically designed to effectively and safely treat their condition,” said AJ Joshi, M.D., Chief Medical Officer at Atara. “As Atara strives to address this unmet need, we must work in concert with industry and policy makers to advance effective policies that encourage continued innovation and acceleration of safe and potentially life-saving allogeneic cell therapies for rare and ultra-rare diseases such as PTLD and other EBV-driven hematologic and solid tumors. We are grateful to be among our peers who share this motivation and look forward to advancing these initiatives together.”
The collective goal of the Coalition is to inform policymakers of the novel promise of these treatments and unique challenges faced in taking rare disease therapies from research and development through to commercialization. The Coalition will advocate for policy and regulatory frameworks that take into account considerations of innovators in the rare disease space and their important impact on delivering therapies to the patients they serve.
Upcoming initiatives and work of the Coalition include continued engagement with policymakers on the unique needs of the rare disease community, the urgency of and support for innovation to address significant unmet patient need and dialogue around policies that advocate for timely and appropriate access to safe and transformational treatments.
About the Rare Disease Company Coalition
The Rare Disease Company Coalition represents life science companies committed to discovering, developing and delivering rare disease treatments for the patients we serve. As an education and advocacy-focused coalition of companies, our goal is to inform policymakers of the unique challenges and promises of rare disease drug discovery, development and manufacturing for small population sizes in order for critical innovation to continue. To achieve this goal, we will use our unified voice to advocate for long-term, consistent, equitable and sustainable government policies that enable life science companies to continue to bring hope and provide access to approved treatments to people living with rare diseases. For more information, please visit www.rarecoalition.com.
About Atara Biotherapeutics, Inc.
Atara Biotherapeutics, Inc. (@Atarabio) is a pioneer in T-cell immunotherapy leveraging its novel allogeneic EBV T-cell platform to develop transformative therapies for patients with serious diseases including solid tumors, hematologic cancers and autoimmune disease. With our lead program in Phase 3 clinical development, Atara is the most advanced allogeneic T-cell immunotherapy company and intends to rapidly deliver off-the-shelf treatments to patients with high unmet medical need. Our platform leverages the unique biology of EBV T cells and has the capability to treat a wide range of EBV-associated diseases, or other serious diseases through incorporation of engineered CARs (chimeric antigen receptors) or TCRs (T-cell receptors). Atara is applying this one platform to create a robust pipeline including: tab-cel® in Phase 3 development for Epstein-Barr virus-driven post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease (EBV+ PTLD) and other EBV-driven diseases; ATA188, a T-cell immunotherapy targeting EBV antigens as a potential treatment for multiple sclerosis; and multiple next-generation chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) immunotherapies for both solid tumors and hematologic malignancies. Improving patients’ lives is our mission and we will never stop working to bring transformative therapies to those in need. Atara is headquartered in South San Francisco and our leading-edge research, development and manufacturing facility is based in Thousand Oaks, California. For additional information about the company, please visit atarabio.com and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains or may imply “forward-looking statements”’ within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. For example, forward-looking statements include statements regarding; engagement with policymakers on rare diseases; the potential benefits, safety and efficacy of tab-cel in treating EBV+ PTLD; and Atara’s ability to advance development of its programs, including to treat EBV-driven hematologic and solid tumors. Because such statements deal with future events and are based on Atara Biotherapeutics’ current expectations, they are subject to various risks and uncertainties and actual results, performance or achievements of Atara Biotherapeutics could differ materially from those described in or implied by the statements in this press release. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, risks and uncertainties associated with the costly and time-consuming pharmaceutical product development process and the uncertainty of clinical success; the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which may significantly impact (i) our business, research, clinical development plans and operations, including our operations in South San Francisco and Southern California and at our clinical trial sites, as well as the business or operations of our third-party manufacturer, contract research organizations or other third parties with whom we conduct business, (ii) our ability to access capital, and (iii) the value of our common stock; the sufficiency of Atara’s cash resources and need for additional capital; and other risks and uncertainties affecting Atara’s and its development programs, including those discussed in Atara Biotherapeutics’ filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including in the “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” sections of the Company’s most recently filed periodic reports on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q and subsequent filings and in the documents incorporated by reference therein. Except as otherwise required by law, Atara Biotherapeutics disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof, whether as a result of new information, future events or circumstances or otherwise.
Contacts
INVESTOR & MEDIA:
Investors
Eric Hyllengren
805-395-9669
ehyllengren@atarabio.com
Media
Alex Chapman
805-456-4772
achapman@atarabio.com