MARTINSRIED (dpa-AFX) - MorphoSys AG (MPSYY.PK) and Immatics Biotechnologies GmbH announced a strategic alliance to generate novel antibody-based therapeutics against multiple proprietary cancer antigens recognized by T cells.
The collaboration agreement provides MorphoSys with access to several proprietary tumor-associated peptides or TUMAPs discovered using Immatics' XPRESIDENT platform to develop novel antibody-based therapeutics against these targets in a number of solid and hematological cancers.
XPRESIDENT enables access to novel antibody targets associated with proteins that are present inside cancer cells. In return, Immatics will be provided with MorphoSys' Ylanthia antibodies against a number of its TUMAPs, with proprietary development rights.
The companies will pay each other milestones based on their respective development progress as well as royalties on marketed products. Financial details of the agreement were not disclosed.
Tumor cells differ from healthy cells in the expression of tumor-associated proteins. These proteins are degraded inside living cells into shorter fragments, called peptides, which are then shuttled to the cell surface. Specialized receptors on the cell surfaces, so-called major histocompatibility complex (MHC) receptors, display these peptides to the external environment thereby providing a snapshot of the cell's interior.
The therapeutic programs now being pursued by Immatics and MorphoSys aim to discover Ylanthia antibodies against these MHC-bound peptide targets in order to kill the tumor cells.
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