Company: HCWB
Filing Date: 2025-03-28
Form Type: 10-K
Source: 0000950170-25-046724
Chunk: 242

Company: HCW Biologics Inc.
Filing Date: 2025-03-28
Form: 10-K
Item: Item 1B
Chunk 242
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 of PDL-1, IL-7, IL-12, IL-18, IL-15, and IL-21 in the oncology field.  The Company’s ownership and rights with respect to HCW9302, HCW9206 and HCW9201 are expressly excluded from the rights transferred to ImmunityBio for oncology indications.  In addition, ImmunityBio received a non-exclusive license to exploit HCW9201 administered by injection for oncology indications.

The Company retains ownership and control of the TOBITM platform and TOBI-based molecules, with no restrictions under the Settlement Agreement on our ability to use the TOBITM platform for protein-fusion molecules for non-oncology indications.  We have rights to pursue oncology indications, in particular using HCW9302, HCW9206 and HCW9201.  Further, the Company retains ownership of the Wugen license and shares of Wugen common stock transferred to the Company as the upfront licensing fee from Wugen for granting the Wugen license.  For our molecule, HCW9218, we maintain the exclusive rights for clinical development and use of HCW9218 in the treatment of all non-oncological diseases. We retain ownership of our lead molecule, HCW9302, which expands Treg cells and is designed to treat autoimmune diseases and other proinflammatory diseases, including cancer, and the ownership of HCW9206, a preclinical molecule which we are developing for the treatment of cancer and other age-related diseases.  The Company agreed to provide ImmunityBio with a right of first refusal to enter a licensing agreement for oncology indications for HCW9206. We have no restrictions on the development of HCW9206 for our own clinical development activities, including oncology indications.  Under the terms of the Settlement Agreement, ImmunityBio will own the cell line and supply for HCW9218, and the parties agreed that within six months from the date of the Settlement Agreement they will enter into a supply agreement providing the Company with a continuing supply of HCW9218 molecules.  The Company also retains in vivo rights to HCW9201, a combination of IL-12, IL-15, and IL-18 in a single protein complex which is designed to stimulate activation and proliferation signals in human NK cells.  The Company retains ownership of the cell lines for HCW9302, HCW9206 and HCW9201, and thus will retain independent control over manufacturing and supply for these compounds.