Immatics Biotechnologies lands €1.1bn deal with GSK

The companies’ strategic alliance aims to equip patients’ own T cells with a natural T cell receptor that recognises antigens on solid tumours. Under the agreement, GlaxoSmithKline plc (GSK) acquires the commercialisation rights for two TCR-T programs from the former cancer vaccine developer paying US$50m. GSK intends to invest heavily in immatics’ know-how in the identification of patient-specific tumour neoantigens using its proprietary XPresident platform and the further development of the programmes. The British company plans to spend more than US$550m  in milestones for each of the programmes designed to treat various solid tumour iindications. In addition, Immatics is eglible to receive royalties on sales upon market approval.

Under the terms of the agreement, the partners will initially develop autologous T-cell therapies. However, GSK also has the option to licence Immatics’ ACTallo^® technology, which delivers allogenic TCR-Ts. Allogenic cell production is expected to largely to reduce costs and length of hospital stay because – in contrast to allogenic cell therapies – they can be manufactured centralised and thus promise to reduce production costs compared to autologous T-cell therapies.

The licensed TCRs were identified using Immatics’ XCEPTOR^® TCR platform and are directed against two proprietary cancer targets on the cancer cell surface. GSK has also acquired an option to add additional cancer targets identified by Immatics’ XPresident platform. For these targets, GSK will receive additional option and milestone payments as well as royalties.

While the team led by Immatics CEO Harpreet Singh is primarily responsible for the preclinical development and validation of the TCR-T candidates, GSK will be responsible for their clinical development, approval and worldwide marketing. Immatics also has the possibility to  co-develop one or more candidates and conduct first-in-man trials, if GSK agrees.

The combination of Immatics’ expertise in the identification and validation of cancer targets and TCRs and GSK’s highly effective development and manufacturing infrastructure is expected to result in next-generation TCR-T therapies that could benefit patients for whom there is currently no satisfactory medical care. For Immatics it is the second potential multi-billion dollar deal. In 2017 the company inked a contract with Celgene to develop TCR-Ts.

Immatics’ pipeline includes T-cell therapy programs based on the proprietary ACTolog^®, ACTengine^® and ACTallo^® approaches, which are developed in collaboration through Immatics US with University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and co-funded by the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT), and several bispecific TCR and antibody molecules.