EMERYVILLE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Eureka Therapeutics Inc. announced today that Boehringer Ingelheim has elected to exercise an option for the exclusive license of novel human TCR-mimicking (TCRm) antibodies against an undisclosed target to be used for the potential development and commercialization of therapies for cancer patients. The licensed TCRm antibodies were developed under a research collaboration and license agreement between Eureka Therapeutics and Boehringer Ingelheim established in 2015.
Monoclonal antibodies that are currently incorporated into CAR constructs used in the clinic can only recognize and bind to molecules that are present on the surface of cells, while most tumor-specific antigens for solid cancers are intracellular and are therefore generally considered difficult to target using current antibody-based therapies. TCRm antibodies, on the other hand, recognize epitopes similar to those of T-cell receptors (TCR) by targeting cancer-specific peptides broken down from intracellular tumor antigens and displayed on the cell surface by the major histocompatibility complex (MHC).
The licensed TCRm antibodies were developed from Eureka’s proprietary E-ALPHA® antibody discovery platform, which comprises a highly diverse human-derived antibody phage library containing over 100 billion clones with unique antibody sequences and a robust workflow with specificity screens designed to develop highly specific antibodies against target antigens.
"We are delighted that Boehringer Ingelheim has exercised its option to license these antibodies,” said Dr. Cheng Liu, President and Chief Executive Officer of Eureka Therapeutics. “This is further validation of our proprietary E-ALPHA® platform, as well as the potential of TCRm antibodies to target intracellular antigens, which we believe can be an effective approach in recognizing and killing cancer cells -- particularly in areas of significant unmet medical need.”
Eureka Therapeutics will receive an undisclosed option payment from Boehringer Ingelheim and is eligible to receive development, regulatory and commercial milestone payments, as well as royalties on net sales, related to antibodies directed at the optioned target.
About Eureka Therapeutics Inc.
Eureka Therapeutics, Inc. is a privately held clinical stage biotechnology company focused on developing novel T-cell therapies that harness the evolutionary power of the immune system. Its core technology platforms center around its proprietary ARTEMIS™ T-cell receptor platform and E-ALPHA® antibody discovery platform for the discovery and development of potentially safer and more effective T-cell therapies for the treatment of multiple hematologic and solid tumors.
Eureka Therapeutics, Inc. is headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area. For more information on Eureka Therapeutics, please visit www.eurekatherapeutics.com.
