Immugenia

Immugenia Inc. is a preclinical-stage immuno-oncology company, founded in 2019 and headquartered in Sherbrooke, Canada, that is developing a new generation of Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) therapies. The company's business model is centered on developing its proprietary drug candidates for eventual licensing agreements and engaging in co-development partnerships with pharmaceutical and biotech companies interested in cell and gene therapy.

The company was co-founded by Stéphane Gagné, who serves as CEO, and Brigitte Lemieux, the Marketing Director. Mr. Gagné brings 25 years of experience in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries, including roles at Aeterna-Zentaris and Atrium Biotechnologies. The core technology is based on the research of Dr. Elie Haddad, a clinical researcher at CHU Sainte-Justine and a professor at the Université de Montréal. Immugenia has secured seed funding from investors including adMare BioInnovations, ACET Capital, and Sherbrooke Innopole to advance its programs.

Immugenia's primary focus is on treating hematological and solid tumors by engineering a patient's own hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). This approach is designed to overcome the limitations of current CAR-T therapies, such as limited persistence which can lead to relapses. The company's core technological asset is its SPICA (Specific Promoters for Immune Cell Activity) platform. SPICA consists of proprietary synthetic promoters that control gene expression, ensuring that the CAR is selectively expressed only in specific immune cells, namely T and NK cells. By modifying HSCs, the therapy provides a continuous supply of CAR-T and CAR-NK cells, leveraging the synergistic activity of both cell types to attack cancer. This method aims to create a durable, potentially lifelong, defense against cancer from a single treatment, while also reducing toxicity risks associated with high doses of conventional CAR-T therapies.

The company’s pipeline includes preclinical candidates for treating Precursor-B Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL), Rhabdomyosarcoma, and Glioblastoma. Immugenia is also exploring the application of its SPICA technology for in-vivo CAR delivery, which would eliminate the need for external cell modification, and its potential use in induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) for applications in regenerative medicine and rare genetic diseases.

Keywords: immuno-oncology, CAR therapy, hematopoietic stem cells, gene therapy, SPICA technology, cell therapy, T cells, NK cells, cancer treatment, preclinical startup, Sherbrooke, hematological tumors, solid tumors, specific promoters, licensing, drug development, cell engineering, oncology, biotechnology, life sciences, adMare BioInnovations, ACET Capital