About ACTolog® T-cell therapy
The ACTolog® concept is based on the principle of endogenous T-cell therapy pioneered by Professor Cassian Yee, M.D. Unlike tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, ACTolog® T-cell products are generated from peripheral blood cells with defined target selectivity. Utilizing its proprietary antigen discovery platform XPRESIDENT®, Immatics has created a warehouse of eight cancer targets. From this warehouse, the most suitable targets for each patient’s tumor are identified by analyzing the tumor biomarkers. Up to four personalized T-cell products are then activated and manufactured for each patient by isolation and enrichment of the patient’s endogenous T-cells in vitro. Billions of such activated and specific T-cells are then re-infused into the cancer patient to attack the tumor.
About ACTengine® T-cell therapy
The ACTengine® approach is based on genetically engineering a patient’s own T-cells to express an exogenous T-cell receptor (TCR) to recognize the cancer cell targets as identified by Immatics’ XPRESIDENT® platform. ACTengine® uses high-avidity and high-specificity exogenous TCRs identified from natural, human T-cell repertoires, which are introduced by viral vectors into patients’ T-cells essentially “reprograming” these to recognize and kill the tumor cells. The engineered T-cells are then grown up and reinfused back into the patient for treatment. Patients are eligible for ACTengine® cell therapy if the target of interest is present on the patient’s tumor as demonstrated by a biomarker diagnostics test.
About XPRESIDENT® Technology
XPRESIDENT® is the most sensitive, accurate and highest-throughput technology capable of identifying targets in virtually any type of cancer. This proprietary technology provides novel, highly-specific, and safe cancer targets that are pivotal for developing a range of powerful immunotherapies with the potential to cure cancer. The cancer targets identified by XPRESIDENT® are peptides presented by human leucocyte antigen (HLA) receptors on the surface of tumor cells. Classical antibody and CAR-T therapies are restricted to cell surface proteins, which constitute only about 20-25% of all available targets on a solid tumor. XPRESIDENT® unlocks all intracellular antigens, increasing the target space by more than 4-fold.
About Bispecific TCR Molecules
Bispecific T-cell receptor (TCR) molecules are biologics that leverage the body’s immune system by redirecting and activating the T-cell response towards cancer cells expressing specific tumor targets. Immatics’ best-in-class bispecific TCR molecules are soluble fusion proteins that have two binding domains: an affinity-maturated and highly selective TCR domain that recognizes and binds to a tumor-specific peptide target presented in the context of HLA class I receptor, and a T-cell recruiting antibody domain directed against CD3 or other immuno-modulating T-cell surface proteins. The design of these novel biologics allows T-cells to become activated and attack the tumor, regardless of the T-cells’ intrinsic specificity.