Inserm to offer early access to antibody targets from academic labs

The two partners will then work together on these targets in cancer, inflammation and autoimmune diseases, jointly advancing them with the aim of concluding commercial licenses.

This is a new kind of partnership, which will enable Marseilles-based Innate Pharma to get early disclosure of the discovery of promising antibody targets, and in turn to collaborate with academic scientists to develop drug candidates directed to such targets.

For Inserm the three year agreement will accelerate the identification and validation of targets with commercial potential.

The agreement has three main stages: Inserm Transfert will make available to Innate Pharma information on early-stage antibody targets, within the scope of the agreement, for preliminary evaluation. For targets selected by Innate Pharma following this evaluation the partners will implement a collaborative research programme to advance and mature the project towards the development of a drug candidate. The partners will enter into an option agreement for a potential license of the target by Innate Pharma.

Then, at the end of the collaborative research programme, Innate Pharma will have an option to license the resulting intellectual property.

Data generated during the collaboration for targets not retained by Innate Pharma will be the property of Inserm.

This partnership combines Inserm’s strength in fundamental research with Innate Pharma’s expertise in translational research and antibody development. A distinctive feature is the continuous interaction between the two partners, which should enable more relevant definition of collaborative research programmes and enhance the selection of targets of interest for drug development.

In addition, Inserm Transfert will trawl its labs to identify the projects with high potential.

“We are very pleased to be the first company to benefit from this new type of privileged relationship with Inserm Transfert”, said Hervé Brailly, CEO of Innate Pharma. “Several of our targets arise from French public research. In addition, antibodies now represent a significant part of our drug-candidate portfolio, budget allocation and development strategy. This agreement therefore fits well with our ambitions.”

Facilitating collaboration between Inserm’s academic laboratories and industry is at the core of Inserm Transfert’s mission, said Cécile Tharaud, CEO of Inserm Transfert. “This partnership demonstrates our ability to support companies in their translational research effort, while fulfilling our primary objective: assisting Inserm in its mission of advancing innovation and public health.”

“In this kind of partnership, our partners benefit from our high value-added services within a streamlined contractual relationship.”

Inserm Transfert SA is a private subsidiary of Inserm, founded in 2001 to handle technology transfer. It also manages European and international research projects, and supports preclinical, clinical and post-marketing studies. In addition, Inserm Transfert oversees a dedicated seed financing fund, Inserm Transfert Initiative.