PhosImmune Inc. and PureMHC LLC have entered into a license and collaboration agreement to develop novel antibody-based immunotherapies designed to target cancers.

PhosImmune possesses technology for the identification of phosphorylated peptides displayed on the surfaces of tumour cells in association with HLA molecules. These phosphopeptide tumour targets (PTTs), derived from proteins that play a role in malignancy, are unique to tumour cells, making them candidates for PTT-targeting drugs that attack the tumour without damaging other tissues.

PureMHC possesses technology for the generation of antibodies that mimic T cell receptors, the most potent immune system cell.   Called "TCRms," these bind specifically to peptide-HLA complexes on the surfaces of tumours. TCRms can be used to develop antibody drug conjugates or bi-specific antibody products capable of recruiting immune cells to kill TCRm-decorated tumours.

Under the agreement, PhosImmune will provide PTTs to PureMHC for the discovery of new TCRms.  The two companies will jointly own and commercialize the resulting TCRms. Financial details were not disclosed.

"We are very pleased to have this strategic partnership with PureMHC, and look forward to working closely together to create a new generation of targeted immunotherapies," said Dr. Kevin FitzGerald, CEO of PhosImmune. "Pure MHC is one of the very few companies world-wide to successfully create antibodies to peptide-HLA complexes.

"The powerful combination of PhosImmune's highly tumor-specific peptide antigens with PureMHC's innovative antibodies provides an exciting opportunity to advance new immunotherapies for clinical testing," said Dr. FitzGerald. "We look forward to a rewarding collaboration and to co-discovering novel therapeutic modalities for currently intractable diseases."

"PureMHC's chief scientists, Dr. William Hildebrand and Dr. Jon Weidanz, have spent over two decades in the discovery of novel HLA peptides as markers of cancer and infectious disease and the subsequent development of TCRms as therapeutics to target these markers," said Thomas Harlan, CEO of PureMHC.  "This combined experience and expertise, along with that of PhosImmune's founding scientists, Dr. Donald Hunt and Dr. Vic Engelhard of the University of Virginia, and Dr. Mark Cobbold of the University of Birmingham UK, will give pharmaceutical companies access to promising new technologies in the immuno-oncology space.  We are pleased to have the privilege to work with PhosImmune on this venture."