Nykode Therapeutics partners with Regeneron to develop cancer and infectious disease vaccines

Nykode Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, announced that it has entered into a collaboration agreement with Regeneron.

This partnership will focus on the discovery, development and commercialisation of potential new vaccines for cancer and infectious diseases.

The agreement includes five distinct programmes, three within cancer, and two within infectious diseases. Each of the programmes may include several vaccine candidates, all of which are eligible for milestone and royalty payments.

The vaccines will combine Regeneron’s unique antigen selection expertise and VelociSuitein vivomodels with Nykode Therapeutics’ modular vaccine platform and specialisation in vaccine design.

Nykode Therapeutics is dedicated to the discovery and development of vaccines and novel immunotherapies for the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases.
Their modular vaccine technology specifically targets antigens to antigen-presenting cells, which are essential for inducing rapid, strong and long-lasting antigen specific immune responses and elicit efficacious clinical responses.

Under the terms of this collaboration, Nykode Therapeutics will be responsible for vaccine generation and characterisation, as well as product supply through the end of Phase 1 trials. Regeneron will be responsible for antigen identification, preclinical and clinical development manufacturing and commercialisation.

Michael Engsig CEO of Nykode Therapeutics said: “We are very pleased to have entered into this ground-breaking agreement with Regeneron that may accelerate the expansion of our pipeline and fully leverage our unique and modular vaccine technology platform within multiple, large and commercially significant disease areas, in line with our corporate strategy.

“The agreement further validates Nykode Therapeutics’ position as a leading next-generation immunotherapy platform company. We are thrilled about the choice of programmes and their therapeutic potential within cancer, and prophylactic and therapeutic potential within infectious diseases.”

Gavin Thurston Senior Vice President of oncology research at Regeneron said: “Nykode Therapeutics’ platform efficiently delivers vaccine payloads to antigen presenting cells and allows for vaccine candidates that can be easily manufactured. It has already shown robust CD8+ antigen-specific T cell responses in animal models and in patients with cancer. Combining their platform with our industry-leading VelociSuite technologies and expertise may help to accelerate this emerging and promising therapeutic approach.”