The startup develops immuno-modulatory antibodies targeting cancer and immune-related diseases, focusing on immuno-oncology therapies for solid tumors such as breast, gastric, and ovarian cancers. Their antibodies address significant unmet medical needs by enhancing the immune response against malignant cells.
Funding
$189.7M raised to dateRaised to date based on public sources. This may differ from the amount the company actually raised and is based only on what is publicly available on the internet.
F2Founders
Product
Problem
Current cancer and infectious disease treatments often fail to fully harness the body's immune system to effectively target and eliminate malignant or infected cells. Traditional immunotherapies may not be effective for all patients or cancer types, and new approaches are needed to enhance both innate and adaptive immune responses.
Solution
ImCheck Therapeutics is developing a new generation of immunotherapeutic antibodies that target the butyrophilin (BTN) and BTN-like (BTNL) superfamily of checkpoint molecules to modulate the immune system. Their lead candidate, ICT01, is a humanized anti-BTN3A monoclonal antibody (mAb) designed to selectively activate gamma delta (γ9δ2) T cells, a subset of unconventional T lymphocytes that can identify stressed cells, including infected or cancer cells. By targeting BTN3A, ICT01 aims to enhance both innate and adaptive immune responses, leading to direct cytotoxicity of malignant cells and recruitment of additional immune cells to the tumor microenvironment. ImCheck is also exploring the potential of its antibodies in autoimmune and infectious disease indications, with a pipeline of mAbs targeting different members of the BTN(L) superfamily to activate or inhibit different immune cell subsets.
Target Audience
The primary target audience includes patients with solid tumors and hematologic malignancies, as well as individuals with infectious diseases and autoimmune disorders, who may benefit from novel immunotherapies that enhance the body's natural immune response.
Features
- ICT01: A humanized anti-BTN3A monoclonal antibody that selectively activates γ9δ2 T cells.
- Targets the three isoforms of BTN3A, which are overexpressed on various solid tumors and hematologic cancers, as well as on innate and adaptive immune cells.
- Induces phenotypic activation of γ9δ2 T cells and promotes their migration from the blood to infected tissues.
- Stimulates the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IFNγ, TNFα) to activate other immune cells, including NK cells, CD8 T cells, dendritic cells, and B cells.
- Facilitates direct killing of infected cells by ICT01-activated γ9δ2 T cells through the release of perforin/granzymes/granulysins, induction of target cell death through death receptors, and ADCC mediated via CD16 expression on γ9δ2 T cells.
- ICT41: A humanized anti-BTN3A monoclonal antibody designed to selectively activate γ9Vδ2 T cells against infectious diseases.
- Follow-on programs targeting BTN2A and BTNL3/BTNL8 to modulate tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) and δ1 T cells, respectively.