Avidex and Active Biotech have formed a collaboration to create targeted immunotherapeutics for cancer by bringing together the two companies' most powerful protein molecule platforms. Under the agreement Active Biotech will bring the substantial intellectual property, know how and clinical experience it has gained on its proprietary superantigen protein. Avidex brings its platform of tumour antigen-specific human monoclonal T cell receptors (mTCRs).

Under this collaboration the two companies will combine the superantigen with the mTCR as a novel fusion protein. If successful, this fusion protein could unite the targeting specificity of the mTCR with the proven ability of the superantigen to stimulate T cells to kill the target cancer cells. The two companies will work together to make and test these fusion proteins with the intention of creating unique and potent anti-cancer agents.

Tomas Leanderson, chief scientific officer of Active Biotech said, "TTS-CD3, our 5T4 antibody-superantigen fusion protein, is progressing well in its clinical trials. We are already getting promising results from initial trials in patients with some of the most serious of cancers including renal cancer. By forming this collaboration with Avidex we are now able to maximise the value of our technology by extending the tumour antigens that can be targeted".

Neill MacKenzie, Avidex' chief business officer commented "Active Biotech is a perfect partner for Avidex on this programme. The two technologies are clearly complementary and also the two technical teams have synergistic skills and resources that, we hope, will enable this programme to progress rapidly. We have already produced an mTCR fused to the cytokine, IL-2, so we are confident in being able to produce these new fusion proteins".