Clasp Therapeutics Corp

Genmab, a well-known Danish antibody biotech, is partnering with Revitope Oncology on T cell engagers, a type of cancer medicine that has become more popular this year and is now being tested in autoimmune diseases. Genmab will pay the Boston-based startup $9 million to kick off the pact and could dish out up to $600 million if it acts on all three target options, Revitope exclusively told Endpoints News . The partners will conduct research for solid tumors over multiple years. Revitope has previously signed collaborations with Johnson & Johnson and Junshi Biosciences , which invested in the company. Revitope COO Mark Clement told Endpoints the company met the targets of those partnerships but declined to say whether they’re still ongoing. T cell engagers have come to the fore in dealmaking and funding this year. Amgen’s Imdelltra was approved in May. Merck acquired Harpoon Therapeutics for $680 million in January. Clasp Therapeutics made a $150 million debut in March, while Candid Therapeutics launched with $370 million last month. Candid is taking its T cell engagers into the autoimmune field, an area that Revitope could also explore with its new funding, Clement said. That said, one of the problems for T cell engagers being tested in solid tumors is on-target, off-tumor toxicity, according to Revitope CSO Werner Meier. To address that issue, Revitope is creating dual antigen-binding medicines. “Bringing those two components that it requires — [antigens] A and B — and the functional assembly on the cell surface gives us the opportunity to actually create T cell engagers that enlarge the therapeutic window that we’ve seen,” Meier said. The company could ink more partnerships as it’s already in discussions with other companies, Clement said. Revitope’s lead internal candidate, called REV-403, goes after EGFR and PD-L1, and it will soon enter GLP toxicology studies, according to Meier. Editor’s note: This article has been updated to correct that Revitope’s current science is not based on research out of the University of Birmingham. The company no longer uses that platform for its current work.

CAMBRIDGE, MA. & ROCKVILLE, MD.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Clasp Therapeutics, a biotechnology company bringing unparalleled precision to immuno-oncology using next-generation T cell engagers (TCEs), today announced it will present comprehensive preclinical data demonstrating the selectivity and activity of CLSP-1025, a TCE targeting a common p53 mutation, at the 2024 Annual Meeting of the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC), being held November 8 - 10, 2024 in Houston, Texas and virtually. Presentation Details: Title: CLSP-1025, a novel bispecific T cell engager targeting a p53 R175H mutant peptide presented by HLA-A*02:01 Presentation Type: Poster Abstract Number: 1061 Date and Time: Friday, November 8, 2024, at 9 a.m. CT – 7 p.m. CT Location: Exhibit Halls AB, George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, TX Presenters: Justina X Caushi, Alec R Andrews, James Bingham, Lenore Cullen, Anthony S Gizzi, Gillian A Kingsbury, Kaleigh Krapfl, Madison Curtis Siok, Catherine Souza, Kate Stokes and Michael F Maloney About Clasp Therapeutics, Inc. Clasp is pioneering precision in immuno-oncology through next-generation T cell engagers (TCEs) that target tumor-specific oncogenic driver mutations common across hard-to-treat cancers. Clasp’s platform identifies mutation-associated neoantigens and develops TCEs that can selectively bind HLA (human leukocyte antigen)-presented peptides derived from these oncogenic drivers. These innovative pHLAre TM molecules, precise HLA redirecting engagers, direct all T cell types to destroy the tumor. With their unique properties, Clasp’s TCEs are adaptable for application across a variety of cancers with high unmet need. Please visit to learn more. Contacts Media: Michael Galfetti Ten Bridge Communications 757-759-2576 mgalfetti@tenbridgecommunications.com

Dive Brief:A two-year-old biotechnology startup led by former Johnson & Johnson executives has raised $165 million to develop multifunctional antibodies as treatments for cancer and immune diseases.The Series A round for the startup, called Third Arc Bio, drew more investor interest than expected. Vida Ventures led the financing, along with Cormorant Asset Management and Hillhouse Investment. Omega Funds, which seeded Third Arc in 2022, also invested, as did a slate of other venture funds.Third Arc anticipates advancing multiple programs into clinical testing next year. Its drugs are designed to work by engaging T cells, a type of immune cell that can play a role in both cancer and autoimmune disease.Dive Insight:Third Arc has been quietly working for more than two years in an area of research that has drawn significant investment as drugmakers explore how to co-opt the immune system to treat disease.The company didnt disclose many details about its plans Tuesday. But it is focusing on antibodies that can engage T cells, essentially redirecting the bodys immune system. This is useful in cancer, where helping T cells find and destroy tumor cells can be a powerful strategy. It also holds promise in autoimmune conditions, where an out-of-control immune system attacks the body and T cells can be used to deplete the other immune cells responsible.Third Arc is led by Peter Lebowitz, who for years headed up J&Js oncology research and development. He stepped down from his role there in January to join Third Arc as CEO. Sanjaya Singh, a co-inventor of the immune disease drug Skyrizi and former global head of J&Js Janssen Biotherapeutics unit, is the startups chief scientific officer, while another former J&J executive, Joe Erhardt, is chief operating officer.“Less than three years ago, we decided to help realize the scientific vision of Third Arc Bio's founding team by pairing the latest innovation in antibody development with the pursuit of high impact targets in oncology and autoimmunity,“ said Francesco Draetta, managing partner at Omega Funds, in a statement.The company plans to file multiple Investigational New Drug applications with the Food and Drug Administration next year.With the Series A, Third Arc becomes the latest biotech to raise a large funding round to support T cell engager research. Santa Ana Therapeutics, which raised $168 million in June, is taking a similar approach, as is Clasp Therapeutics, which secured $150 million in March. Drugmakers are also actively investigating whether CAR-T cell therapies, already established as treatments for cancer, could be used for autoimmune diseases like lupus, too. '