On March 2017 Oxford BioMedica plc ("Oxford BioMedica" or "the Group") (LSE:OXB), a leading gene and cell therapy group, reported the announcement by Novartis that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted its Biologics License Application (BLA) filing and granted priority review for CTL019 (tisagenlecleucel-T), an investigational chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) therapy, in relapsed and refractory (r/r) pediatric and young adult patients with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) (Press release, Oxford BioMedica, MAR 30, 2017, View Source [SID1234518317]). The priority review designation is expected to shorten the anticipated review time by the FDA.

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Oxford BioMedica is the sole manufacturer of the lentiviral vector expressing CTL019 for Novartis. As announced in October 2014, Oxford BioMedica will also receive undisclosed royalties on potential future sales of Novartis CAR-T products.

John Dawson, Chief Executive Officer of Oxford BioMedica, commented: "The news that the FDA has accepted the BLA for CTL019 and granted it priority review is an important development for Oxford BioMedica. We continue to work closely with Novartis in delivering the lentiviral vector expressing CTL019, a product described earlier this year by Novartis as having "blockbuster" potential."