Roche signs $17 million immatics deal
pharmafile | November 15, 2013 | News story | Research and Development, Sales and Marketing | Cancer, Roche, immatics, lung, prostate
Roche is to pay German biotech company immatics $17 million to collaborate on the search for vaccines in various cancers, including gastric, non-small cell lung and prostate.
The Swiss manufacturer will also commit research funding and could end up pay milestone payments reaching more than $1 billion.
The kernel of the deal is to look for new tumour-associated peptide (TUMAP)-based cancer vaccine candidates and other immunotherapies in oncology.
The most advanced compound in the agreement is the Phase I IMA942, which is designed to treat gastric cancer.
Roche will be responsible for developing and commercialising all immunotherapies generated by immatics: the quid pro quo is that immatics will conduct research for Roche using its XPRESIDENT technology platform to identify TUMAP candidates.
The firm says the platform can identify, quantify and prioritise cancer antigens recognised by T lymphocytes based on the ability of the immune system to detect them.
“The wealth of relevant cancer-specific antigens that we expect to emerge from this research collaboration will provide an extraordinary opportunity to elicit broad tumour-specific immune responses upon vaccination, especially when combined with other immunomodulatory molecules in our pipeline,” said Hy Levitsky, head of cancer immunology experimental medicine at Roche.
Paul Higham, chief executive of immatics, said the deal was recognition of the TUMAP-based approach to bringing cancer vaccines to market.
“It also validates the potential for XPRESIDENT-identified TUMAPs to play a key role in the development of other cancer immunotherapies,” he added.
Immatics has had some success in this area: last year its investigational cancer vaccine and lead product IMA901 increased survival rates in patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC).
The world’s first multi-peptide therapeutic cancer vaccine for RCC, it is made up of ten TUMAPs, which are found on tumour cells in RCC patients.
Two studies also identified two biomarkers that could help determine which patients are most likely to achieve an overall survival benefit in future studies with IMA901, something that could make the regulatory path easier to navigate for the firm.
The product is currently in a global Phase III trial.
Adam Hill
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