ImCheck: Exploring two uncharted territories in immunomodulation, butryophilins and gamma-delta T cells – April 23 2021
Click HERE to register for a LIVE presentation from industry experts Pierre d’Epenoux and Paul Frohna (PhD) on ImCheck: Exploring two uncharted territories in immunomodulation, butyrophilins and gamma-delta T cells.
Abstract includes:
ImCheck Therapeutics is designing and developing a new generation of immunotherapy antibodies positioned at the crossroads of two high-potential immunological fields: γ9δ2 T cells and a novel super-family of immunomodulators, butyrophilins. Due to their mechanism of action, and notably their ability to simultaneously modulate innate and adaptive immunity, ImCheck’s “first-in-class” activating antibodies may be able to produce superior clinical results in a range of oncology indications as compared to the first-generation of immune checkpoint inhibitors and when used in combination to overcome the resistance to this group of agents. ImCheck’s lead program, ICT01, a first-in-class γδ T cell-activating monoclonal antibody, entered the clinic in 2020. The EVICTION Phase I/IIa clinical trial is evaluating ICT01 in patients with advanced, refractory cancers, including solid and liquid tumor indications. In addition to a number of oncology-focused antibodies moving toward the clinic, preclinical experiments with ImCheck’s antagonist antibodies have demonstrated potential as treatments for a wide range of autoimmune diseases.
ImCheck Therapeutics has raised over $88 million (€74 million) in two rounds of venture capital financing from an international syndicate. ImCheck’s €20 Million Series A financing was led by Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund (BIVF), Kurma Partners, and Idinvest and joined by Gimv and Life Sciences Partners. Its €54 million Series B was led by Bpifrance and Pfizer Ventures, with BB Pureos, Wellington Partners, Agent Capital and Alexandria Venture Investments as well as the investors from ImCheck’s Series A joining the round. Co-founder of the Marseille Immunopole cluster, ImCheck benefits from support from Prof. Daniel Olive (INSERM, CNRS, Institut Paoli Calmettes, Aix-Marseille Université), a worldwide leader in γδ T cells and butyrophilins research.
Before joining ImCheck, Dr. Frohna was Chief Medical Officer at Bioniz Therapeutics, where he led clinical and regulatory affairs functions and was responsible for the operational oversight of the Company's clinical programs in T-cell leukemia and lymphoma as well as autoimmune diseases. Prior to this role, Dr. Frohna was the Vice President of Clinical Development and Translational Medicine at Receptos Inc., where he led the successful Phase 2 trials of ozanimod in multiple sclerosis and inflammatory bowel disease. Prior to Receptos, Paul served as the Chief Medical Officer of ProFibrix, Inc. where he led the successful Raplixa™ clinical program, and previously held senior clinical development positions at Fibrogen and at Genentech where he patented and initially tested the therapeutic approach of B-cell depleting therapy for relapsing and progressive multiple sclerosis. Dr Frohna currently serves as an independent director on the board of Accure Therapeutics, a Barcelona-based, clinical-stage private biotech developing first-in-class neurotherapeutics.
Over the course of his career, Dr. Frohna has built and led departments, including clinical development, translational medicine, clinical pharmacology, drug safety, and regulatory affairs. His leadership has been demonstrated on clinical and project teams responsible for candidate selection, IND filings, Phase I to III clinical trials, and global development partnerships. He has successfully designed and initiated translational and clinical programs for biologics, small molecules, and stem cells, across multiple therapeutic areas including immunology and oncology. He played critical roles in multiple development programs, including Receptos' ozanimod, Fibrogen’s roxadustat and Genentech's Rituxan, Tarceva, and Raptiva programs.
In 1995, Pierre founded & managed an Asian affiliate of Merck/Lipha in Vietnam-Laos-Cambodia. Four years later, he joined Merck KGaA in Darmstadt as director of Mergers & Acquisitions. In 2002, he joined Baxter Healthcare as Senior Director of Business Development where he led most of the global restructuring of the renal business.
In 2009, Pierre was appointed Head of Strategy & Business Development Europe at Sanofi, a position he held for four years before joining Theravectys, an emerging Paris-based biotech developing lentiviral-vector based therapies as its Chief Strategy Officer. In 2016, Pierre took the helm at ImCheck as CEO, building the company to nearly 50 employees developinga broad pipeline of novel antibody drug candidates.
