ImmunoScape, a biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of next-generation T cell receptor (TCR)-based therapeutics, and MiNK Therapeutics, Inc, a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company specializing in the discovery, development and commercialization of allogeneic, off-the-shelf, invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cell targeting therapies, announced a collaboration agreement to discover and develop next-generation TCR therapies against novel targets in solid tumors. The combined efforts of both companies aim to accelerate the development of TCR-based therapies against novel targets in T cells, iNKT cells, and other modalities, potentially offering new therapeutic approaches for diverse cancer indications.
ImmunoScape’s unique Deep Immunomics platform enables high-throughput and sensitive screening of T cells against relevant tumor targets for the rapid discovery of rare, therapeutically-relevant TCRs. MiNK Therapeutics has a proprietary library of phospho-peptide neoantigens derived from a wide range of solid tumors and hematologic malignancies. In this collaborative effort, ImmunoScape will leverage its capabilities in multiplex antigen screening and in-depth T cell profiling to identify relevant TCRs targeting the library of phospho-peptide antigens. MiNK Therapeutics will further characterize these tumor-specific TCRs, leveraging its proprietary capabilities to analyze and select TCR candidates for optimal tumor targeting.
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“ImmunoScape’s mission is to utilize our Deep Immunomics platform to enable the expedited discovery of novel, safe, and efficacious TCRs,” said Choon Peng Ng, Chief Executive Officer, ImmunoScape. “Natural TCRs identified with ImmunoScape’s platform can be deployed via multiple therapeutic modalities, including T cell and via MiNK Therapeutics in iNKT cell therapies and bispecific immune cell engagers. We are excited to work closely with the team at MiNK Therapeutics to fast track the development of next generation TCR-based therapies for solid tumors.”
“We have leveraged our proprietary iNKT discovery platform to develop a wholly owned library of both native and engineered allogeneic cell therapies, including bispecific iNKT cell engagers and TCRs targeting a range of antigens, such as PRAME, NY-ESO-1, and undisclosed targets,” said Dr. Jennifer Buell, President and Chief Executive Officer, MiNK Therapeutics. “We look forward to working with the ImmunoScape team to help fill a crucial gap in delivering TCR-iNKT cells and bispecific immune cell engagers. These therapeutics, armored with tumor-specific TCRs, can potentially eliminate tumor cells and alleviate immune suppression for durable anti-cancer immunity.”
SOURCE: GlobeNewswire
