On March 10, 2020 Phio Pharmaceuticals Corp. (Nasdaq: PHIO), a biotechnology company developing the next generation of immuno-oncology therapeutics based on its proprietary self-delivering RNAi (INTASYL) therapeutic platform, reported that it has reached a new agreement with Medigene AG ("Medigene") in relation to Phio Pharmaceuticals’ previously announced research collaboration in August 2019 with the Helmholtz Zentrum München to design and develop novel candidates for the use of INTASYL compounds in adoptive cell therapy to enhance immune cell function (Press release, Phio Pharmaceuticals, MAR 10, 2020, View Source [SID1234555369]). Under the terms of the new agreement, Medigene will contribute expertise regarding clinical development as well as proprietary research material and has an option to an exclusive license for the clinical and/or commercial exploitation of the potential immune cell enhancers against certain fee payments.
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"We are pleased that Medigene will be contributing to our research alliance with the Helmholtz Zentrum München," said Dr. Gerrit Dispersyn, President and CEO of Phio. "The breadth of the INTASYL platform and the compound’s capability to augment the anti-tumor effectiveness of various cell-based approaches are key differentiators of the platform, and Medigene’s clinical development experience with personalized T cell therapies will be helpful in our efforts to identify potential new targets and therapies that INTASYL can enhance. The capabilities that Medigene will bring to the collaboration will be additive to the ongoing research efforts we have undertaken with Prof. Dr. Elfriede Nößner and her team at the Helmholtz Zentrum München as we remain committed to exploring and identifying novel targets to strengthen our immuno-oncology product candidate portfolio."
"We are delighted to continue to work with Phio Pharmaceuticals and Helmholtz Zentrum München within this new agreement," said Prof. Dolores J. Schendel, CEO and CSO of Medigene. "We look forward to the outcomes of this collaborative research effort and exploring the potential future options."
Said Prof. Dr. Elfriede Nößner, Head of Immunoanalytics at Helmholtz Zentrum München, "I am very excited about this 3-party agreement. Connecting pharma and clinical stage biotechnology with academic research is an enormous asset to the growing field of immunotherapy. It promises seamless translation of basic science knowledge to patient benefit."