Immunocore

Immunocore is a commercial-stage biotechnology company that spun out of Medigene AG in 2008, established by founders Bent Jakobsen and James Noble. The company's core technology originated from research conducted at the University of Oxford in the 1990s by Bent Jakobsen, who first developed it within his company Avidex Ltd, founded in 1999. James Noble, a chartered accountant with a background in investment banking and biotech finance, served as the founding CEO. Bent Jakobsen, a pioneer in T-cell receptor (TCR) based immunotherapy, served as the Chief Scientific Officer, leveraging his deep scientific expertise in immunology and protein engineering.

The company's business model is centered on its proprietary Immune Mobilizing Monoclonal TCRs Against X disease (ImmTAX) platform. This technology engineers bispecific biologic drugs that can bind to both a cancer cell and a T-cell, effectively creating a bridge that directs the patient's own immune system to destroy the cancer cells. Unlike traditional antibody therapies that are limited to targeting proteins on the outside of cells, Immunocore's TCR technology can recognize intracellular protein fragments presented on the cell surface, significantly expanding the range of potential therapeutic targets. The company generates revenue primarily through the sale of its commercial products, as well as through collaborative agreements and royalties. Its operations are supported by strategic partnerships with major pharmaceutical companies like Genentech, GSK, and Sanofi, which involve upfront payments, milestone payments, and royalties, helping to fund research and development.

Immunocore's first commercial product, KIMMTRAK® (tebentafusp), achieved a significant milestone in January 2022 as the first FDA-approved TCR therapy for a solid tumor. This bispecific protein is approved for the treatment of adult patients with unresectable or metastatic uveal melanoma (a rare form of eye cancer) who are positive for a specific genetic marker, HLA-A*02:01. KIMMTRAK works by specifically targeting the gp100 antigen on melanoma cells and the CD3 receptor on T-cells, activating the T-cells to attack the tumor. The therapy is administered weekly via intravenous infusion. Beyond uveal melanoma, Immunocore is advancing a deep pipeline of drug candidates based on its modular ImmTAX platform. This includes programs targeting other cancers (ImmTAC), infectious diseases like HIV and HBV (ImmTAV), and autoimmune conditions (ImmTAAI).

Keywords: T-cell receptor therapy, immunotherapy, bispecific biologics, ImmTAX platform, KIMMTRAK, tebentafusp, uveal melanoma, oncology, infectious diseases, autoimmune diseases, TCR technology, ImmTAC, ImmTAV, solid tumors, biopharmaceutical, Genentech partnership, GSK partnership, Bent Jakobsen, James Noble, metastatic melanoma, HLA-A*02:01, gp100, CD3 targeting, clinical-stage biotechnology, cancer immunotherapy