Summary
- Profile Type
- Technology offer
- POD Reference
- TODE20240912006
- Term of Validity
- 12 September 2024 - 12 September 2025
- Company's Country
- Germany
- Type of partnership
- Research and development cooperation agreement
- Investment agreement
- Commercial agreement with technical assistance
- Targeted Countries
- All countries
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General information
- Short Summary
- A German Biotech start-up focused on immunotherapy has developed a T cell activator platform for highly personalized treatment of malignant, especially cancerous diseases. Their approach enables both the direct killing of cancerous cells as well as enhancing overall immune response. The platform is currently evaluated in 5 clinical Phase I + II trials and the SME looks for licensing, investment and research agreements to accelerate development and market entry of their innovative immunotherapies
- Full Description
-
A German Biotech start-up is pioneering the forefront of immunotherapy with its revolutionary T cell activator platform, designed to harness the power of T cells in combating malignant diseases. By focusing on immunopeptidome-derived tumor antigens and employing an innovative adjuvant/formulation, the platform ensures precise targeting of naturally presented neoepitopes, enabling the direct killing of cancerous cells while activating and recruiting other immune components for a comprehensive response. This approach not only promises enhanced efficacy in stimulating potent, tumor-specific T cell responses but also offers a highly personalized treatment, adapting to each patient's unique condition with a favorable safety and tolerability profile, setting a new benchmark in immunotherapy.
The company’s platform is specifically designed to address the pressing needs within the oncology sector, targeting a wide array of cancers incl. solid tumors and hematologic diseases with its innovative approach to T cell activation. By choosing to concentrate exclusively on oncology at this stage, the company aims to serve patients suffering from various cancer types, offering them personalized and highly effective immunotherapy solutions. This strategic focus positions the SME to capture a significant portion of the rapidly growing cancer immunotherapy market (expected to grow to $190bn in 2030) , serving a large patient population in need of advanced treatment options.
The platform is currently already evaluated in five clinical Phase I and Phase II trials comprising warehouse-based personalized peptide vaccines for CLL (chronic lymphocytic leukemia) patients, a fusion-based neoepitope vaccine for cancer patients with DNAJB1-PRKACA gene fusion, a broadly applicable off the shelf vaccine in AML (acute myeloid leukemia) patients, COVID-19 peptide vaccine for healthy volunteers and patients suffering from congenital or acquired B-cell / antibody deficiency.
The start-up is planning to advance the platform in following indications:
Orphan Diseases: Pursue orphan drug status for rare indications, like fibrolamellar carcinoma (FLC, 100% positive for the DNAJB1-PRKACA fusion transcript) where regulatory incentives can support fast development and market entry. A Phase I study evaluating the fusion-based peptide T cell activator in DNAJB1-PRKACA positive tumors has been successfully recruiting since 11/2023.
Innovation in common cancers: Innovate in the treatment of common cancers with large patient populations (e.g., prostate cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), bladder cancer, breast cancer) by focusing on peptide warehouse of high frequent tumor antigens to enable broadly applicable personalized immunotherapy. Pre-clinical work for prostate cancer, bladder cancer and breast cancer is ongoing. Data collection for HCC is initiated.
High-impact areas: Direct initial R&D efforts towards indications with significant unmet needs or where current treatments are inadequate, such as pancreatic cancer, to potentially achieve substantial patient impact and market differentiation. Data collection for pancreatic cancer is initiated.
The SME aims to harness the combined strengths of industry expertise and academic research to bring its groundbreaking technology to patients as soon as possible. Partners and partnerships could be pharmaceutical companies for licensing agreements, biotech investors for funding or cancer research institutes for cooperations in the area of clinical trials in hematologic diseases and solid tumors (prostate cancer, hepatocellular cancer and potentially breast cancer). - Advantages and Innovations
- The start-up distinguishes itself in the competitive landscape of oncology with a dual-force approach to T cell activation. Firstly, its proprietary immunopeptidome platform leverages naturally presented tumor antigens and an innovative adjuvant formulation, ensuring a highly specific and potent immune response tailored to each patient's unique cancer profile. Secondly, the platform's success is underscored by its proven track record in clinical evaluations in five Phase I to II trials, demonstrating superior safety, tolerability, and the ability to induce profound, peptide-specific T cell responses that surpass those achieved by existing peptide-based and mRNA vaccines, offering a new standard in personalized cancer treatment.
- Stage of Development
- Available for demonstration
- Sustainable Development Goals
- Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being
- IPR status
- IPR granted
- IPR notes
- EU; further regions and applications are awaiting decision
Partner Sought
- Expected Role of a Partner
-
- Pharmaceutical companies for licensing
- Additionally interest in biotech investors for funding,
- Cancer Research Institutes for research cooperation
The start-up is looking for partnerships with larger pharmaceutical companies. These collaboration aim to leverage the extensive resources, global reach, and established distribution networks of these entities to accelerate the progression of clinical trials and enhance the distribution capabilities of the company's innovative immunotherapies.
For research cooperations they are interested in cooperations in the area of clinical trials in hematologic diseases and solid tumors (prostate cancer, hepatocellular cancer and potentially breast cancer). - Type and Size of Partner
- Big company
- SME 50 - 249
- R&D Institution
- Other
- Type of partnership
- Research and development cooperation agreement
- Investment agreement
- Commercial agreement with technical assistance
Dissemination
- Technology keywords
- 06002002 - Cellular and Molecular Biology
- 06001003 - Cytology, Cancerology, Oncology
- 06001006 - Human vaccines
- 06001012 - Medical Research
- Market keywords
- 05005014 - Oncology
- 05006 - Anatomy, Pathology, Immunology, Physiology
- 04015 - Gene Expression, Proteome Research
- Sector Groups Involved
- Health
- Targeted countries
- All countries