Boehringer Ingelheim and 3T Biosciences enter into a second partnership to develop next-generation cancer immunotherapies

INGELHEIM, Germany and SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., Jan. 4, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Boehringer Ingelheim and 3T Biosciences ("3T") today announced they have entered into a new strategic collaboration and licensing agreement focused on discovering and developing next-generation life-changing cancer immunotherapies.

Despite the significant transformation of the cancer treatment landscape by immunotherapies, sustained remission only occurs in 15-20% of all cases of cancer. Boehringer Ingelheim is on a mission to considerably increase this rate by utilizing complementary immuno-oncology platforms such as T-Cell Engagers (TcEs), oncolytic viruses and cancer vaccines to extend the benefits of immunotherapy to more patients in need.

This second research partnership with 3T builds on the successful completion of the initial research partnership announced last year by the two companies. It brings together 3T's best-in-class 3T-TRACE (T-Cell Receptor Antigen and Cross-Reactivity Engine) discovery platform with Boehringer Ingelheim's commitment to develop first-in-class immuno-oncology treatments that boost the immune system's ability to recognize, attack and kill tumors.

"At Boehringer Ingelheim, we are committed to transforming patients' lives. The initial success of our work with 3T gives us confidence that together we can and will expand and accelerate our pipeline of first-in-class T-cell based anti-cancer therapies," said Lamine Mbow, Ph.D., Global Head of Cancer Immunology and Immune Modulation, Boehringer Ingelheim.

"The work we have done with Boehringer Ingelheim over the past year provides a higher degree of validation of our 3T-TRACE discovery platform," said Stefan J. Scherer, M.D., Ph.D., president and CEO of 3T Biosciences. "Based on the success of this initial work, we will now go broader and deeper into other cancers."

Under the agreement, Boehringer Ingelheim will provide patient-derived T-cell receptor (TCR) data to fuel 3T's target discovery efforts to identify cognate antigens using its 3T TRACE discovery platform. 3T will receive an upfront payment and research and development support, and is eligible for discovery, preclinical, clinical, regulatory, and commercial milestones for both agreements totaling $538.5 million in addition to royalties on future Boehringer Ingelheim product sales. Boehringer Ingelheim is eligible to receive royalties on future product sales by 3T Biosciences arising from the agreement.

Boehringer Ingelheim is working on breakthrough therapies that transform lives, today and for generations to come. As a leading research-driven biopharmaceutical company, the company creates value through innovation in areas of high unmet medical need. Founded in 1885 and family-owned ever since, Boehringer Ingelheim takes a long-term, sustainable perspective. More than 53,000 employees serve over 130 markets in the two business units Human Pharma and Animal Health. Learn more at www.boehringer-ingelheim.com 

3T Biosciences is an immunotherapy company focused on discovering and developing next-generation therapies with curative potential based on its immune-response-guided target discovery approach. 3T Biosciences' 3T-TRACE platform technology is designed to overcome the challenges of advancing T-cell receptor (TCR)-based therapeutics. Based in South San Francisco, 3T Biosciences is led by an experienced management team and supported by top investors including Westlake Village BioPartners, Lightspeed Venture Partners, and the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy. For more information, please visit https://3tbiosciences.com.

3T's 3T-TRACE discovery platform uses evolutionarily adapted clinical immune responses against cancer to discover the best immunogenic targets for multiple tumor indications and across patient populations. 3T's platform identifies novel shared T-cell receptor (TCR) targets of productive immune responses and comprehensively screens TCRs and TCR mimetics for specificity and off-target cross-reactivities. The platform identifies the most prevalent and immunogenic targets in solid tumors by uniquely combining high-diversity target libraries with active machine learning. This may lead to tumor-specific, safer therapies that can be delivered at higher doses for broader patient populations.

SOURCE 3T Biosciences