Licensing Deal

BMS Inks Deal With Immatics On Cancer Bispecific

December 15,2021 11:13 AM
- By Admin

Bristol Myers Squibb will pay $150 million upfront to Immatics as part of a deal potentially worth up to $920 million to develop the latter's T-cell-redirecting (TCR) bispecific candidate IMA401, the companies reported Tuesday. A clinical study of IMA401 is expected to get under way in the first half of 2022, enrolling patients with various solid tumour types.

Immatics says IMA401, the most advanced asset in its T-cell-engaging receptor (TCER) pipeline, has one binding region that targets MAGEA4/8, a highly prevalent antigen in multiple solid tumours, while the other engages and activates T-cells. In preclinical studies, the company said IMA401 has shown "anti-tumour activity with complete remissions" in various in vivo tumour models, including patient-derived xenograft models.

Aside from the upfront $150-million payment and potential milestones totalling up to $770 million, Immatics is also eligible for tiered double-digit royalties on net sales of IMA401, if approved. Meanwhile, the company retains options to co-fund US development in exchange for enhanced US royalty payments and/or co-promoting IMA401 in the country.

Antibody-like 'off-the-shelf' biologics

Teri Foy, who heads research and early development for immuno-oncology and cell therapy at Bristol Myers Squibb, said "TCERs are an important, emerging modality for solid tumours with the potential for cell-therapy-like efficacy in an off-the-shelf platform offering potentially broader patient access."

In 2019, Immatics struck a deal to develop adoptive cell therapies in collaboration with Celgene, which has since been acquired by Bristol-Myers Squibb. "We are delighted to extend our existing collaboration…to the IMA401 programme and view this as an important validation of the therapeutic potential of our TCER approach," remarked Carsten Reinhardt, chief development officer at Immatics. The latest agreement excludes any MAGEA4/8 targets for cell therapy.

Bristol Myers Squibb has inked a couple of sizeable deals this year as it looks to expand its cancer pipeline amid stiff competition for its immunotherapy Opdivo (nivolumab) against Merck & Co.'s rival Keytruda (pembrolizumab). In June, Bristol Myers Squibb inked an agreement potentially worth over $3 billion to jointly develop and market Eisai's experimental antibody-drug conjugate MORAb-202 for solid tumours. Prior to that, it agreed to pay up to $1.4 billion in a deal for Agenus' anti-TIGIT bispecific antibody programme AGEN1777.