Photo: Faith Ninivaggi
ImmVue Therapeutics Inc. has exclusively licensed allosteric small molecules identified by Leslie Berg, PhD, and Joonsoo Kang, PhD, at UMass Chan Medical School, for clinical development as a potential cancer therapeutic. As part of the agreement, UMass Chan will also receive equity in the company along with a substantial upfront fee.
“We’re excited to partner with ImmVue on the further development of this novel immuno-therapeutic approach that can potentially treat many forms of solid tumors,” said Dr. Kang, professor of pathology. “ImmVue has been a strong supporter of our research program and their ambitious commitment to the development of this innovative class of cancer drugs will help us propel the work closer towards patients in the clinic.”
A central goal of the Kang Lab is to decipher the molecular basis of T-cell development and T-cell activation. T-cells are a type of white blood cells central to the body’s immune system to fight infections and remove dangerous cells, such as abnormal cells and tumors.
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Research funded by a sponsored research agreement with ImmVue since 2022 and conducted by Drs. Kang, Berg and colleagues, has identified two forms of allosteric small molecule compounds with potential clinical applications. One form can directly activate cancer-fighting T-cells which may subsequently enable the elimination of cancer and prevent recurrences in patients. The other form can be used to eradicate a rare form of lymphoma for which there are no FDA-approved drug treatments. Dr. Berg, who spent 20 years at UMass Chan, is now chair of immunology and microbiology at the University of Colorado-Anschutz School of Medicine.
“Drs. Kang and Berg are leaders in the field of T-cell lineage and activation,” said Sandy Der, chief operating officer and a co-founder of ImmVue Therapuetics Inc. “Working closely with leading academic medical centers such as UMass Chan, we hope to bring pioneering new therapeutics to patients suffering from different forms of cancer.”
ImmVue Therapuetics Inc., in conjunction with Kang and Berg, are developing these two small molecules for human clinical trials.
This partnership was facilitated by BRIDGE Innovation and Business Development at UMass Chan.
