Most importantly, the licence will allow Champalimaud’s Comprehensive Cellular Therapy Centre (CCTC), a state-of-the-art medical and scientific institution, to continue the first clinical study with the PD-1/4-1BB construct in patients with solid tumours. This study was originally prepared by Medigene and had already been approved.
The licence from Helmholtz Munich grants Champalimaud Foundation exclusive rights to patented co-stimulation technologies, which are designed to enhance T-cell activation, persistence, and therapeutic efficacy.
The acquired portfolio of Medigene assets includes TCR programs, development data, platform technologies, and biological materials, forming a substantial basis for the advancement of engineered T-cell therapies. Further research using the novel assets is planned.
The Champalimaud Foundation is a private, non-profit organization based in Lisbon, Portugal, which specialises in cutting-edge biomedical research and clinical care. Its primary focus is on the fields of neuroscience and cancer research. Ascenion GmbH, as the Helmholtz Munich’s technology transfer partner, has supported the negotiation of the exclusive licence agreement.
Further information: Helmholtz Munich's Press Release
