Imcyse Enters into Research Collaboration and License Agreement for its Imotope Technology with Pfizer in Rheumatoid Arthritis

  • Imcyse and Pfizer to collaborate to develop ImotopeTM candidates to potentially treat Rheumatoid Arthritis
  • Pfizer to lead clinical development and commercialization activities
  • Imcyse to receive upfront payment in cash and through the purchase of equity in addition to milestone up to $180 million and tiered royalty payments

Imcyse, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company pioneering the development of a new class of active and specific immunotherapies for the treatment of severe autoimmune diseases, today announced that it has entered into a research collaboration and license agreement with Pfizer Inc. (PFE) for Imcyse's Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) program based on the Company's ImotopeTM technology. Following the successful completion of a research collaboration initiated in 2017, the companies have entered into such license agreement to develop ImotopesTM to potentially treat RA. In the initial period, the companies will collaborate to develop existing lead candidates and further optimize potential molecules. Subsequently, Pfizer will lead clinical development and commercialization activities for the program

Under the terms of the agreement, Imcyse will receive an up-front payment and Pfizer will purchase an equity stake in Imcyse to be executed in an upcoming financing round. In addition, Imcyse is eligible to receive up to USD 180 million in milestones in addition to tiered royalty payments. In addition, Mike Vincent, MD, PhD, Senior Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer of Inflammation & Immunology Research Unit at Pfizer will join the Imcyse Scientific Advisory Board.

The initiation of the RA program was funded in part from a grant by the Wallonia Research SPW, which over a number of years and supplementary grants has supported Imcyse, enabling the Company and its programs to develop to this point of industrial partnership.

Denis Bedoret, Imcyse CEO, commented: "This license agreement constitutes a great endorsement and a sign of confidence in our ImotopeTM technology platform from one of the leading pharmaceutical companies in the world. We are excited to expand our successful collaboration to develop ImotopesTM for RA, a prevalent autoimmune disorder. It is our ultimate goal to develop curative treatments for autoimmune disorders for the benefit of patients worldwide. For diseases such as RA, this can be best accomplished with the help of partners such as Pfizer."

The Imcyse ImotopeTM platform represents a next generation and potentially curative approach to severe autoimmune diseases. ImotopesTM induce cytolytic T cells, which specifically eliminate the aberrant disease pathway while leaving the rest of the immune system unaffected. The Company's lead program is entering phase 2 in Type 1 Diabetes and its Multiple Sclerosis candidate is expected to commence clinical trials by 2022.

Mike Vincent, CSO, Pfizer Inflammation & Immunology, further commented: "I am very pleased to be joining the Scientific Advisory Board of Imcyse and for Pfizer to join in the development of the ImotopeTM technology in the field of RA. Pfizer is committed to addressing the needs of patients in Rheumatology, and the Imcyse technology platform offers a unique scientific approach that we look forward to exploring further."

ABOUT IMCYSE
Imcyse is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company pioneering the development of a new class of active and specific immunotherapies for the treatment of severe autoimmune diseases. The company's unique technology platform allows it to specifically target immune cells involved in the destruction of the diseased organ. Disease specific Imotopes(TM), which are modified peptides, generate cytolytic CD4 T-cells, that eliminate antigen-presenting cells and autoantigen specific lymphocytes. The Imotope(TM) effect, sustained over time, helps to prevent and treat diseases with no current curative alternative and to potentially cure patients without causing generalized immune suppression. The company has established proof of concept in several indications and has started a Phase 2 clinical program in type 1 diabetes with promising results already seen during the first Phase 1 trial. Beyond type 1 diabetes, Imcyse is developing a pipeline of Imotopes(TM) for the treatment of several autoimmune diseases. Founded as a spin-off of the Catholic University of Leuven in 2011, Imcyse subsequently relocated to Liège, Belgium.

www.imcyse.com

CONTACT:
Imcyse S.A.

Denis Bedoret
Chief Executive Officer
Mail: contact@imcyse.com

FOR MEDIA INQUIRES:
MC Services AG

Anne Hennecke / Brittney Sojeva
Mail: imcyse@mc-services.eu
Tel.: +49 (0) 211-529-252-14

SOURCE: Imcyse



View source version on accesswire.com:
https://www.accesswire.com/627591/Imcyse-Enters-into-Research-Collaboration-and-License-Agreement-for-its-ImotopeTM-Technology-with-Pfizer-in-Rheumatoid-Arthritis

News Provided by ACCESSWIRE via QuoteMedia

The Conversation (0)
Various colorful pills and tablets spill from an orange prescription bottle onto a blue background.

Eli Lilly Surges, Novo Nordisk Slips in Weight-Loss War

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) and Novo Nordisk (NYSE:NVO) both raised their full-year profit outlooks on the back of explosive demand for GLP-1 weight-loss and diabetes treatments. But by mid-year, Eli Lilly's blockbuster injectable drugs propelled its valuation past US$1 trillion, while Novo... Keep Reading...
BriaCell Receives FDA Clearance to Initiate Bria-PROS+ Clinical Study in Prostate Cancer

BriaCell Receives FDA Clearance to Initiate Bria-PROS+ Clinical Study in Prostate Cancer

FDA clearance of Investigational New Drug (IND) application enables BriaCell to initiate Phase 1/2a clinical study of Bria-PROS+ in prostate cancerBria-PROS+ is BriaCell's next generation personalized immunotherapy for prostate cancer and incorporates additional immune activating components... Keep Reading...
US Food and Drug Administration website on a phone screen.

Eli Lilly Cancer Drug Wins FDA Breakthrough Therapy Status

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted Breakthrough Therapy designation to Eli Lilly and Company's (NYSE:LLY) experimental drug olomorasib as a standalone treatment for patients with advanced pancreatic cancer and a KRAS G12C mutation who have received at least one systemic... Keep Reading...
Canada maple leaves on left and pharmaceutical pills in red and blue on right.

5 Best-performing Canadian Pharma Stocks in 2026

From established players to up-and-coming firms, Canada's pharmaceutical landscape is diverse and dynamic.Canadian drug companies are working to discover, develop and commercialize major innovations amid an increasingly competitive global landscape. Rising technologies such as artificial... Keep Reading...
Stethoscope rests on stacks of US money over a bright blue background.

Eli Lilly to Buy Psychedelics Firm AtaiBeckley for US$2.8 Billion

Pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) is pushing further into the psychedelic drug market with a US$2.8 billion buyout of clinical-stage developer AtaiBeckley (NASDAQ:ATAI). The crown jewel of the deal is BPL-003, a clinic-administered nasal spray derived from dimethyltryptamine... Keep Reading...
BriaCell Opens First Canadian Site - Sunnybrook - for Pivotal Phase 3 Trial in Metastatic Breast Cancer

BriaCell Opens First Canadian Site - Sunnybrook - for Pivotal Phase 3 Trial in Metastatic Breast Cancer

Sunnybrook's Odette Cancer Centre, a world-class cancer center in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, joins BriaCell's pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial in metastatic breast cancerBriaCell Phase 3 trial featured in Nature Medicine as one of "Eleven clinical trials that will shape medicine in 2026" briacell... Keep Reading...

Interactive Chart

Latest Press Releases

Related News