Transgene and BioInvent Expand Collaboration to Develop Multifunctional Oncolytic Viruses for Solid Tumor Treatment

VCBeat (WeChat ID: vcbeat) has learned that biotechnology companies Transgene and BioInvent have recently entered into a collaboration to jointly develop viral immunotherapies for the treatment of solid tumors.

BioInvent is a biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of novel immunomodulatory antibodies for cancer treatment. Its lead candidate, BI-1206, is currently in Phase I clinical trials, primarily for the treatment of non-Hodgkin lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia. In addition to its internal R&D efforts, the company has established strategic collaborations with multiple biopharmaceutical companies, including Pfizer and Bayer, to manufacture antibodies for third-party use in late-stage clinical trials.

Transgene is a publicly listed biotechnology company in France that has designed a new generation of multifunctional oncolytic viruses leveraging its proprietary Invir.IO viral vector platform. Since its establishment in 1979, the company has focused on the research and development of immunotherapies targeting cancer and infectious diseases. To date, its key products include TG4010, a therapeutic vaccine for non-small cell lung cancer; Pexa-Vec, an oncolytic virus for liver cancer; and TG4001, a therapeutic vaccine for HPV-positive head and neck cancer. Additionally, the company has two other clinical development programs: TG1050, a vaccine for chronic hepatitis B, and TG6002, an oncolytic virus for solid tumors.

Under the agreement signed by both parties, Transgene will provide industry-leading oncolytic virus (OV) design technology and its proprietary engineered vaccinia virus (TK-, RR-) backbone, while BioInvent will provide one or more antibody sequence platforms through its proprietary n-CoDeR®/FIRST platform.

As early as November 2018, Transgene and BioInvent established their intention to collaborate at the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) annual meeting. Subsequently, they jointly developed an oncolytic vaccinia virus armed with an anti-CTLA-4 antibody. This oncolytic vaccinia virus is based on Transgene’s proprietary vaccinia virus backbone (TK-, RR-), which ensures that BioInvent’s anti-CTLA-4 antibody exerts its therapeutic effect within tumors with minimal side effects. Compared with control groups receiving either the antibody alone or the oncolytic virus alone, the novel oncolytic vaccinia virus demonstrated superior efficacy and better tolerability.

Dr. Philippe Archinard, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Transgene, stated, “We are delighted to expand the scope of our collaboration with BioInvent. We believe that combining BioInvent’s highly targeted immunomodulators with our multifunctional oncolytic viruses will provide superior treatment options for patients with solid tumors. This collaboration further expands our company’s existing oncolytic virus portfolio, and we anticipate that the first new product will enter the market in 2020.”

Martin Welschof, CEO of BioInvent, also stated: “Novel antibodies developed through our proprietary n-CoDeR/FIRST platform can be delivered directly into tumors via the Transgene vaccinia virus backbone, thereby enhancing drug efficacy while reducing side effects in patients.”

(Compiled by: Feng Yutong)