GSK and LTZ collaborate on MCEs

Sino-American immunotherapy-focused biotech LTZ Therapeutics and UK pharma major GSK (LSE: GSK) have entered into a strategic research collaboration to advance the development of novel myeloid cell engagers (MCEs) to address significant unmet need in oncology.

The research collaboration aims to develop up to four potential first-in-class MCE therapies targeting haematologic cancers and solid tumors. The agreement grants GSK an exclusive option to license worldwide development and commercial rights for these pre-clinical therapies.

MCEs are an emerging class of immuno-oncology treatments designed to use the body’s own immune system to recognize and kill tumor cells, providing a novel approach to target cancers with a favorable safety profile. Myeloid cells make up a significant majority of tissue resident immune cells in the body, providing potential for a broad and sustained infiltration of tumors when they are used to target and kill cancerous cells. The LTZ MCE platform has shown promising pre-clinical data on targeted anti-cancer activity in multiple tumor types. While other modalities have shown efficacy, they can be associated with significant side effects requiring inpatient monitoring that limit community use where most patients receive care.