Epitopea Signs Licensing and Research Collaboration Agreement with MSD to Identify Tumour-Specific Antigens
Thursday, February 20, 2025
Epitopea, a company focused on developing accessible, off-the-shelf RNA-based cancer immunotherapies, has entered into a licence and research collaboration agreement with MSD, the tradename of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA. The collaboration aims to identify CryptigenTM tumour-specific antigens (TSAs) in a solid tumour type that has not been disclosed. CryptigenTM TSAs are shared, non-mutated, and aberrantly expressed antigens derived from regions of the genome previously considered to be non-coding or "junk DNA."
Under the agreement, Epitopea will use its proprietary CryptoMapTM platform to identify and provide novel, immunogenic CryptigenTM TSAs for a specified tumour type. MSD will have exclusive rights to develop and commercialise therapies based on the findings. Epitopea will receive an undisclosed upfront payment and may be eligible for milestone payments, which could reach up to $300 million per product.
Epitopea has played a key role in identifying CryptigenTM TSAs, which are shared across tumours in different patients, making them suitable targets for off-the-shelf immunotherapies. The company is advancing its preclinical pipeline as it moves towards becoming a clinical-stage organisation. The collaboration with MSD provides an opportunity to further validate the potential impact of these tumour-specific antigens.
MSD continues to expand its work in immuno-oncology and sees the collaboration as a way to explore new therapeutic approaches. The agreement also highlights the growing recognition of Epitopea’s antigen discovery platform, which aims to support the development of innovative cancer treatments for patients with significant unmet needs.
This partnership represents a step forward in advancing immunotherapies by leveraging Epitopea’s expertise in antigen identification and MSD’s experience in developing immuno-oncology treatments.
Source: epitopea.com
