Primis Biologics and Aikai Biotech Announce Strategic Collaboration to Co-Develop Two Allogeneic iPSC-CAB-NK Cell Therapies for Solid Tumors

On June 10, 2021, Biotheus Inc. (“Biotheus”) and iCell Biotechnology Co., Ltd. (“iCell”) jointly announced that they had formally entered into a global strategic partnership to co-develop two iPSC-CAB-NK cell therapy products targeting solid tumors, leveraging iCell’s iPSC NK cell therapy technology and Biotheus’s preclinical R&D and clinical capabilities.

Biotheus is dedicated to the research and development of innovative biologics in the field of cancer immunotherapy. Its proprietary CAB-structured cell therapy platform has demonstrated significant anti-tumor efficacy. iCell possesses multiple key technologies in the field of iPSC-based cell therapy and has established an effective iPSC cell platform. The technological advantages of iCell in the iPSC domain are highly complementary to Biotheus’s industrial strengths in cancer immunotherapy. Through this collaboration, Biotheus and iCell will join forces to advance the successful development of joint projects, with the aim of providing innovative therapeutic solutions for cancer patients.

Leveraging years of technical expertise, the founding team of Aikae has developed proprietary technologies for iPSC-derived NK cell therapy. Through precise, intelligent engineering, these iPSC-derived NK cells are endowed with enhanced tumor-killing efficacy. Aikae’s cell therapy technology platform aims to provide patients with more effective, safer, and affordable cell-based treatments.

Biotheus Inc., founded in 2018, has always adhered to its entrepreneurial mission of “Igniting the Spark of Innovation, Achieving a Healthy Life.” Focusing on malignant tumors and autoimmune diseases, the company is dedicated to the research, development, and industrialization of Class I innovative biologics in China. Biotheus has established a product pipeline comprising more than 10 Class I novel biologic drugs, including monoclonal antibodies and bispecific antibodies. Among these, three new anti-tumor drugs are currently undergoing Phase I–II clinical trials, and the fourth new drug candidate had its Investigational New Drug (IND) application submitted in May 2021. Looking ahead, Biotheus will continue to increase its R&D investment, with expectations that additional new drug candidates will enter clinical trials by the end of 2021.

iCell is a biotechnology company focused on building induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-based therapeutic platforms and developing various universal cell therapies. The founding team of iCell possesses profound technical expertise in cutting-edge fields such as iPSC technology, gene editing, and stem cell differentiation, and holds multiple independent intellectual property rights and international patents. The core founding team’s achievements have been extensively reported and commented on by domestic and international official media outlets, including Science and Technology Daily, Xinhua News Agency, Science Net, China News Service, and the Los Angeles Times. Under the leadership of its core team, iCell has achieved rapid growth and assembled a team with extensive experience in corporate operations and management, pipeline research and development, clinical studies, and industrialization. Currently, iCell has multiple self-developed pipelines and collaborates with numerous companies to actively promote the clinical application of universal cell therapies.

For more information about iCell Bioscience, please contact:

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