BRIEF—NEC and Transgene team up to develop I-O drugs

Tokyo-based NEC Corporation and France's Transgene have agreed on a strategic collaboration aimed at the treatment of solid cancers.

The deal will leverage NEC’s AI capabilities to explore the potential of Transgene’s viral vector platform to develop immunotherapies.

The firms say they expect experimental products from the collaboration to enter clinical trials in 2019.

NEC senior VP Osamu Fujikawa said: “Engaging the body’s own immune system in the fight against cancer has shown great promise and sparked unprecedented interest among oncology drug makers. This makes it imperative for NEC to become part of the immunotherapy race as soon as possible.”