BioInvent International

NEWEST TAP PARTNER - JANUARY 2023

BioInvent International AB is a clinical-stage biotech company that discovers and develops novel and first-in-class immuno-modulatory antibodies for cancer therapy. The Company's validated, proprietary F.I.R.S.T™ technology platform identifies both targets and the antibodies that bind to them, generating many promising new drug candidates to fuel the Company's own clinical development pipeline and providing licensing and partnering opportunities.

BI-1206 is a novel anti-FcyRIIB antibody currently being studied in two Phase 1/2 trials, in combination with rituximab in NHL (NCT03571568) and in combination with pembrolizumab in solid tumors.

BI-1808 is an anti-TNFR2 antibody being evaluated in a Phase 1/2a trial, as a single agent and in combination with pembrolizumab in patients with ovarian cancer, non-small cell lung cancer and cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (NCT04752826).

Dren Bio

NEWEST TAP PARTNER - NOVEMBER 2022

Dren Bio is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing therapeutic antibodies for the treatment of cancer, autoimmune and other serious diseases. Dren Bio’s pipeline encompasses two distinct programs, the first focusing on the engineering of antibodies with enhanced antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (“ADCC”) capabilities and the second revolving around its proprietary Targeted Myeloid Engager and Phagocytosis Platform.

DR-01 is a novel antibody targeting CD94 which is known to be upregulated on LGLL cells. DR-01 functions through depletion of target cells via ADCC by means of fratricide, a method in which the same cell type induces ADCC on each other. A phase I/II trial has been initiated to assess the safety and efficacy of DR-01 in previously treated LGLL patients (NCT05475925).

Abintus Bio

San Diego, CA - Abintus Bio is developing cutting-edge in vivo CAR therapies that allow for powerful CAR T cells to be generated directly in a patient’s body, eliminating the need for time-consuming and costly collection, engineering and re-infusion of patient T cells. 

Products are in preclinical development with a goal to explore in blood cancers and solid tumors using this novel technology platform being developed by Abintus.

Affimed

Heidelberg, Germany - Affimed is a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company committed to giving patients back their innate ability to fight cancer by actualizing the untapped potential of the innate immune system using the proprietary ROCK® platform to enable a tumor-targeted approach to recognize and kill a range of hematologic and solid tumors.

AFM13 is bispecific tetravalent engager targeting CD30 on tumor cells and CD16A on NK cells and macrophages. AFM13 is currently in a Phase 2 registration-directed clinical trial in relapsed or refractory CD30-positive peripheral T-cell lymphoma (NCT04101331). The clinical trial recently completed enrollment and topline data is expected in the second half of 2022.

Biotheryx

San Diego, CA - Biotheryx is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company discovering and developing a portfolio of innovative small molecule targeted protein degraders (TPDs) in areas of high unmet medical need, with an initial focus on cancer.

BTX-1188 is a dual target protein degrader specifically engineered to degrade GSPT1 and IKZF1/3. A clinical study of BTX-1188 in patients with advanced hematologic and solid tumor malignancies (NCT05144334) is ongoing.

Caribou Biosciences

Berkeley, CA - Caribou is a clinical-stage biotechnology company, co-founded by CRISPR pioneer and Nobel Prize winner Jennifer Doudna, Ph.D., using next-generation CRISPR genome-editing technology to develop “off-the-shelf” (allogeneic) CAR therapies for hard-to-treat blood cancers.

CB-010, an allogeneic CD19 CAR-T cell therapy in which PD-1 was genetically disrupted in the CAR-T genome, leading to more durable anti-tumor activity in pre-clinical studies, is being evaluated in a Phase 1 clinical trial for patients with relapsed/refractory B cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NCT04637763).

CB-011, an allogeneic BCMA CAR-T cell therapy that is immunologically cloaked for enhanced persistence, is in preclinical development for the treatment of multiple myeloma.

CB-012, an allogeneic CD371 CAR-T cell therapy, is in preclinical development for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia.

Carisma Therapeutics

Philadelphia, PA - Carisma is a biopharmaceutical company developing a differentiated and proprietary cell therapy platform focused on engineered macrophages. Carisma is looking at an innovative way to harness yet another part of the human immune system.

Carisma will further develop its proprietary engineered-macrophage platform to support the development of one or more CAR macrophage cell therapy programs for hematological malignancies.

Constellation Pharmaceuticals

Munich, Germany - Constellation Pharmaceuticals was a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapeutics that selectively modulate gene expression to address serious unmet medical needs in patients with cancer. MorphoSys acquired Constellation in July 2021 and continues to enroll patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms in multiple clinical studies.

Pelabresib (CPI-0610) is a small molecule inhibitor of bromodomain and extra-terminal (BET) proteins. Pelabresib in combination with ruxolitinib is in a Phase 3 clinical trial (NCT04603495) for myelofibrosis patients that have not been previously treated with Janus kinase inhibitors. In November 2018, the FDA granted CPI-0610 Fast Track Designation for treatment of myelofibrosis.

Faron Pharmaceuticals

Turku, Finland - Faron Pharmaceuticals is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel treatments for medical conditions with significant unmet needs caused by dysfunction of our immune system. The Company currently has a pipeline based on the receptors involved in regulation of immune response in oncology, organ damage and bone marrow regeneration. 

Bexmarilimab, a novel anti-Clever-1 humanized antibody, is its investigative precision immunotherapy with the potential to provide permanent immune stimulation for difficult-to-treat cancers through targeting myeloid function. A Phase 1 study in AML (BEXMAB) has been cleared by the FDA and Finnish Medicines Agency and is currently enrolling patients (NCT05428969).

Forty Seven

Foster City, CA - Forty Seven was a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company that was developing therapies targeting cancer immune evasion pathways and specific cell targeting approaches based on technology licensed from Stanford University. Gilead Sciences acquired Forty Seven in March 2020 and continues to develop magrolimab in multiple clinical studies in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome, acute myeloid leukemia, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and solid tumors.

Magrolimab is a first-in-class monoclonal antibody against the CD47 receptor. Magrolimab is being investigated in multiple Phase 3 clinical studies. One Phase 3 study supported in part by LLS TAP involves magrolimab in combination with azacitidine for the treatment-naive patients with higher risk myelodysplastic syndrome (NCT04313881). In September 2020, the FDA granted magrolimab Breakthrough Therapy Designation for the treatment of newly diagnosed myelodysplastic syndrome. 

ImCheck Therapeutics

Marseille, France - ImCheck Therapeutics is designing and developing a new generation of immunotherapeutic antibodies targeting butyrophilins, a novel super-family of immunomodulators.

ICT01 is a humanized, anti-BTN3A (also known as CD277) monoclonal antibody that selectively activates γ9δ2 T cells, which are part of the innate immune system that is responsible for immunosurveillance of malignancy and infections. EVICTION (NCT04243499) is a first-in-human clinical trial of ICT01 in patients with various advanced relapsed or refractory solid or hematologic cancers (includes acute myeloid leukemia, acute lymphocytic leukemia, follicular lymphoma, and diffuse large B cell lymphoma patients).

Immune-Onc Therapeutics

Palo Alto, CA - Immune-Onc is a clinical-stage cancer immunotherapy company dedicated to the discovery and development of novel myeloid checkpoint inhibitors for cancer patients.

IO-202 is a first-in-class monoclonal antibody that antagonizes LILRB4. IO-202 is in a Phase 1 clinical trial for the treatment of advanced acute myeloid leukemia and chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (NCT0437243). In February 2022, the FDA granted IO-202 Fast Track Designation for treatment of AML.

Immunitas Therapeutics

Waltham, MA - Immunitas is committed to discovering and developing novel, differentiated therapeutics for patients with cancer using a discovery engine that combines deep expertise in single-cell genomics with customized machine learning approaches to elucidate immune cell populations that are key actors in immuno-oncology.

IMT-009 is a first-in-class NK and T cell modulator targeting CD161 that is being developed for the treatment of solid tumors and lymphomas and is in a Phase 1 clinical trial (NCT05565417).

Kura Oncology

San Diego, CA - Kura Oncology is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company committed to realizing the promise of precision medicines for the treatment of cancer with a pipeline that consists of small molecule drug candidates that target cancer signaling pathways.

Ziftomenib (KO-539) is selective small molecule inhibitor of menin. Ziftomenib is currently in a Phase 1/2 clinical trial treating patients with acute myeloid leukemia, including patients with NPM1 mutations or KMT2A rearrangements (NCT04067336).

Kymera Therapeutics

Watertown, MA - Kymera Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company founded with the mission to discover, develop, and commercialize transformative therapies while leading the evolution of targeted protein degradation, a transformative new approach to address previously intractable disease targets.

KT-333 is STAT3 protein degrader. KT-333 is in a Phase 1 clinical trial currently enrolling NHL patients (NCT05225584).

KT-413 is a dual protein degrader of IRAK4 and IMiD substrates. KT-413 is in a Phase 1 clinical trial currently enrolling DLBCL patients (NCT05233033).

OncoPep

Cambridge, MA - OncoPep is developing targeted immunotherapeutics to prevent the progression of cancer, prolong survival and restore the quality of life of patients. 

PVX-410 is a multi-peptide therapeutic vaccine being evaluated in smoldering multiple myeloma and triple negative breast cancer. PVX-410 is currently being tested in combination with citarinostat (small molecule inhibitor of HDAC) and lenalidomide in patients with smoldering multiple myeloma (NCT02886065). 

Ryvu Therapeutics

Krakow, Poland - Ryvu Therapeutics is a clinical-stage drug discovery and development company focusing on novel small molecule therapies that address emerging targets in oncology using a proprietary discovery engine platform.

RVU120 is a highly selective first-in-class CDK8/CDK19 small molecule inhibitor. RVU120 is currently in a Phase 1 clinical trial in patients with acute myeloid leukemia or high-risk myelodysplastic syndrome (NCT04021368), enrolling in the US and Poland. 

Sutro Biopharma

South San Francisco, CA - Sutro Biopharma is a clinical-stage drug discovery, development and manufacturing company that uses precise protein engineering and rational design to advance next-generation oncology therapeutics.

STRO-001 is a CD74-targeting antibody-drug conjugate. STRO-001 is currently being investigated in a Phase 1 clinical trial of patients with advanced B-cell malignancies, including multiple myeloma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NCT03424603).