Neogene Therapeutics signs global license agreement with NCI for cancer treatment

Biotechnology firm Neogene Therapeutics has signed an exclusive, global license agreement with the National Cancer Institute (NCI) for a portfolio of T cell receptor (TCRs) targeting KRAS and TP53 mutations for the treatment of patients suffering with cancer. 

The laboratory of Steven Rosenberg, chief of surgery at the NCI, discovered these TCRs.

NCI is an institute of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Neogene’s neoantigen TCR discovery and T cell engineering platform complements this portfolio of TP53 and KRAS targeted T cell therapies.

Neogene’s platform intends to identify neoantigens and TCRs that can target individual patients and allow the engineering of T cells with these neoantigen-particular TCRs for patients with a wide range of solid tumors.

Neogene Therapeutics chief medical officer Raphaël Rousseau said: “TP53 and KRAS are among the most commonly mutated genes in cancer, however, very few therapies specifically targeting these mutations are currently available, and there is a high unmet need for effective treatment options.”

“We’re excited to have entered into this agreement with the NIH to expand our current development program and address this need through the development of TCR-engineered T cell therapies for patients with tumours that harbour these common mutations.”

Neogene has been given global rights to develop, manufacture and commercialise this TCR portfolio of autologous and allogeneic T cell therapy product candidates.