On June 6, 2024 Ipsen (Euronext: IPN; ADR: IPSEY) and Marengo Therapeutics Inc, a clinical-stage biotech company, reported the expansion of their ongoing oncology research partnership, to include TriSTAR, Marengo’s next-generation, precision T cell engager (TCE) technology (Press release, Ipsen, JUN 7, 2024, View Source [SID1234644184]). Traditional TCEs targeting ‘cold’ tumors have limited efficacy due to poor T cell quality and exhaustion. Marengo’s proprietary first-in-class TriSTAR TCEs have the potential to overcome these limitations, redirecting a new and expanded pool of highly activated memory Vβ T cells to the tumor. The teams will focus on exploring potential in ‘cold’ tumors which typically fail to trigger a strong immune response when treated with TCEs.
Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:
Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing
Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!
"We take a science-first approach to expanding our pipeline and are delighted to continue our strong work with the teams at Marengo, who share our passion and drive to accelerate cancer innovations," said David Jenkins, SVP, Research and External Innovation at Ipsen. "Through Marengo’s next-generation TriSTAR platform we have the potential to unlock the power of the immune system, activating a wider pool of T cells to eradicate tumors that traditionally have a weak response to T-cell immunotherapies."
"We are excited to build on our existing research collaboration with Ipsen, which has already successfully delivered the first development candidate earlier this year," said Zhen Su, CEO of Marengo Therapeutics. "This new collaboration with Ipsen builds on our clinically validated TCR Vβ platform and our internal work with new TriSTAR T cell engagers that suggest best-in-class potential and the ultimate precision IO goal of delivering the right T cells to the right tumor. The TriSTAR platform significantly expands our portfolio to target difficult-to-treat ‘cold’ tumors, and we are thrilled to partner with the Ipsen oncology team to realize this ambition together."
Under the terms of the agreement, Ipsen will assume responsibility for all activities following development candidate nomination. Marengo will receive an upfront payment and potential payments up to a total of $1.2 billion if all milestones are met in addition to tiered sales royalty payments.