Moderna and Immatics have announced a collaboration agreement aimed at developing 'novel and innovative’ cancer therapies, with the deal potentially worth over $1.7bn.

The multi-platform partnership will combine Moderna's mRNA technology with Immatics’s T-cell receptor platform and cover various therapeutic modalities such as bispecifics, cell therapies and cancer vaccines.

The companies outlined in a statement that their research will focus on three main pillars, including applying the mRNA technology for in vivo expression of Immatics's half-life extended TCR bispecifics (TCER) targeting cancer-specific HLA-presented peptides.

They will also leverage Moderna’s mRNA experience alongside Immatics's tumour and normal tissue data included in its Xpresident target discovery platform and Xcube bioinformatics and AI platform to develop mRNA-based cancer vaccines, as well as evaluate Immatics’s IMA203 TCR-T therapy targeting preferentially expressed antigen in melanoma (PRAME) in combination with Moderna’s investigational PRAME mRNA-based cancer vaccine.

Under the terms of the agreement, Immatics will receive an upfront payment of $120m and will be eligible to receive development, regulatory and commercial milestone payments that could exceed $1.7bn, plus royalties for the sales of TCER products and certain vaccines that emerge from the collaboration. Immatics will also have the option to join a global profit-and-loss share arrangement for the most advanced candidate.

Moderna will lead the development and commercialisation of the cancer vaccines resulting from the collaboration, while Immatics will be responsible for pre-clinical and potential early-stage studies for the IMA203 TCR-T and PRAME mRNA vaccine combination.

The companies will each maintain full ownership of their respective programmes and will fund the clinical study on a cost-sharing basis.

Moderna's senior vice president for research and early development, Rose Loughlin, said: “This partnership presents a groundbreaking opportunity to leverage our mRNA technology alongside Immatics's TCR platform, potentially diversifying and augmenting the way we approach cancer treatment.

“We believe this collaboration will accelerate the development of novel oncology therapies and bring us one step closer to providing significant benefits for patients with high unmet medical needs."

Toni Weinschenk, chief innovation officer at Immatics, said the company was “thrilled” to join forces with Moderna.

“We believe Immatics's cancer target and TCR platforms, along with Moderna's cutting-edge mRNA technology, represent a powerful combination that has the potential to deliver meaningful benefits to cancer patients,” he said.

https://www.pmlive.com/pharma_news/moderna_and_immatics_announce_oncology_collaboration_worth_over_$1.7bn_1499690