Merck & Co. has penned a $300 million biobucks-per-product deal with cancer biotech Epitopea to identify previously secret antigens that could form the backbone of off-the-shelf immunotherapies.
Cambridge, U.K.- and Montreal-based Epitopea is focused on discovering so-called Cryptigen tumor-specific antigens (TSAs), derived from what had previously been considered to be “junk DNA.” These hidden antigens have so far “largely escaped detection,” according to the biotech’s website.
That’s where Epitopea’s CryptoMap comes in. The discovery platform is designed to reveal around 100 TSAs per tumor type. “This allows us to prioritize aeTSAs on the basis of optimal expression and effective recognition by the immune system, which we believe is critical for recognition and destruction of cold tumors,” the company says on its website.
This morning’s deal with Merck will see CryptoMap deployed against “a prespecified tumor type,” according to the release. The U.S. pharma will have the exclusive rights to develop and commercialize any resulting therapies. In return, Epitopea will receive an undisclosed upfront payment and potential milestone payments that could reach $300 million per product.
“Despite the remarkable progress made in cancer treatment over the past decade, more therapeutic options are needed,” George Addona, Ph.D., senior vice president, discovery, preclinical development and translational medicine, Merck Research Laboratories, said in the release. “We continue to explore new ways to build upon our strong foundation in immuno-oncology and look forward to collaborating with the Epitopea team.”
Founded in 2021, Epitopea secured a $13.6 million seed investment back in 2022 and then topped this up with a $31 million pre-series A financing last October. The latest financial fuel was designed to boost the biotech’s “significant strides toward the clinic.”
“At Epitopea we continue to accelerate the development of our preclinical pipeline as we transition to a clinical-stage company on the ‘heels’ of our recent, oversubscribed, pre-series A financing,” the biotech’s CEO Alan Rigby, Ph.D., said in the Feb. 19 release.
“We believe that this strategic collaborative relationship with MSD, a leader in immunotherapy therapeutic development, provides us with an additional opportunity to validate the potential impact of these differentiated tumor-specific antigens,” Rigby added. “We are thrilled to collaborate with MSD as our teams collectively look to impact the lives of patients with cancer by helping to improve outcomes.”