Immunotherapy: Biomunex unveils novel approach developed with Institut Curie

The immune cell redirection approach has led to significant advances in cancer immunotherapy. More than 80 bispecific antibodies based on this approach are currently in development, most of them using CD3-based T cell redirection. This promising technique is widely studied because it can be applied to a wide variety of cancers. However, this approach has many limitations, such as cytokine release syndrome, one of the main side effects of this therapy, a so-called 'dose-limiting' toxicity[1] and minimal clinical activity against solid tumors[2].

Biomunex Pharmaceuticals, a biopharmaceutical company that develops cutting-edge immunotherapies through the discovery and development of bi- and multi-specific antibodies in cancer treatment, announced on May 5th the concept and data on its MAIT (Mucosal-Associated Invariant T) cell redirection target for its lead non-conventional T cell redirection approach for the treatment of cancer. This novel therapeutic approach was developed through several collaborations between Biomunex, the Cancer immunotherapy center (Institut Curie, Inserm) led by Dr. Sebastian Amigorena, and Institut Curie’s Clinical immunology laboratory led by Dr. Olivier Lantz.

Biomunex presented data showing that, using their BiXAb® technology, MAIT cells can be redirected to kill cancer cells in a specific manner that does not engage all T cell subsets. This MAIT-focused approach has the potential to overcome certain limitations of CD3+ T-cell engagers such as cytokine release syndrome. By being naturally resident in tissues and with a high propensity to infiltrate tissues, the MAIT cell redirection drugs should also have a higher potential, compared to classical T cell engagers, in the treatment of solid tumors.

Biomunex's best-in-class platform will allow us to explore this novel approach to redirecting MAIT lymphocytes, whose great potential has already been confirmed by preliminary results (in vitro and in vivo). The combination of BiXAb technology, which can be adapted to target any tumor-associated antigen, and MAIT cells naturally present in many tumor tissues, suggests that this approach will pave the way for new advanced immunotherapies for patients with unmet medical needs.

say Dr. Sebastian Amigorena and Dr. Olivier Lantz.

This approach uses the BiXAb® technology developed by Biomunex, a platform that allows the creation of bi- and multi-specific antibodies from any pair of monospecific monoclonal antibodies.

We are thrilled and proud to present data on our lead MAIT cell redirection approach in immuno-oncology using our BiXAb platform. The innovative MAIT-cell redirection approach was invented together with our partners and advisors at Institut Curie: Dr. Sebastian Amigorena and Dr. Olivier Lantz. We are currently preparing for a fundraising round to develop our unique MAIT BiXAb platform and our proprietary breakthrough antibodies to first in human studies, and expand the BiXAb platform to trispecificity.

said Dr. Pierre-Emmanuel Gerard, CEO and founder of Biomunex.

[1] The dose of a drug induces significant toxicities that limit the dose increase in a patient.

[2] Solid tumors can develop in any tissue: skin, mucous membranes, bones, organs, etc. They represent 90% of human cancers.