Immutep and Eddingpharm sign accord for ImmuFact IMP321 in China

French biopharma Immutep and Chinese drugmaker Eddingpharm have entered into an agreement for the development, commercialization and manufacturing of Immutep’s ImmuFact IMP321.

Financial details have not been disclosed but include milestone payments and royalties. The agreement grants Eddingpharm exclusive rights to develop and market IMP321 in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. Immutep will provide full technical support for the development of the product. Immutep and Eddingpharm plan to develop the product for first-line metastatic breast cancer as well as other first-line metastatic indications.

Like the checkpoint inhibitors that induce tumor regression and extend survival, antigen presenting cell (APC) activators increase the T cell response against tumors by a different but complementary mechanism, which enhances antigen presentation to T cells. IMP321 (a first-in-class APC activator) can be used in combination with first-line chemotherapy or in combination with checkpoint inhibitors.