Immatics and Celgene join forces on novel adoptive cell therapies

Privately-held Immatics Biotechnologies today announced that it has entered into a strategic collaboration and option agreement to develop novel adoptive cell therapies targeting multiple cancers with US biotech major Celgene (Nasdaq: CELG).

Tuebingen, Germany-based Immatics may develop T-cell receptor engineered T-cell Therapy (TCR-T) programs against solid tumor targets discovered with Immatics’ XPRESIDENT technology. Programs would utilize proprietary T-cell receptors (TCRs) identified by Immatics’ XCEPTOR TCR discovery and engineering platform.

If Immatics develops programs against the TCR-T targets, Immatics will be responsible for the development and validation of these programs through lead candidate stage, at which time Celgene – currently the subject of a $74 billion takeover by Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY) - may exercise opt-in rights and assume sole responsibility for further worldwide development, manufacturing and commercialization of the TCR-T-cell therapies. Immatics would have certain early stage co-development rights or co-funding rights for selected TCR-T-cell therapies arising from the collaboration.