Zelluna Immunotherapy and Karolinska Institutet have announced a collaboration to develop next generation TCR-NK products for the treatment of patients with solid cancers.
In addition, Zelluna is entered as a collaborative partner in the new Competence Center for Next-Generation NK Cell-based Cancer Immunotherapy (“NextGenNK”) being established at the KI.
Next generation TCR guided NK cells
The collaboration will support a multi-year research program with Dr. Evren Alici, Head of the Gene & Cell Therapy group at KI. The program aims to develop next generation TCR guided NK cells. The collaboration will make use of Zelluna’s TCR-NK technology and is intended to accelerate the development of Zelluna’s TCR-NK platform and off-the-shelf products.
Zelluna will have exclusive rights to develop and commercialize TCR-NK products resulting from the collaboration through a commercial license with KI.
The NextGenNK Competence Center
The NextGenNK Competence Center provides an arena where universities and companies will conduct research and innovation in the field of NK based cancer therapy. For Zelluna this provides access to a broad network of competence, infrastructure and potential collaborating partners all with the common vision of developing novel NK cell treatments for cancer patients. The NextGenNK is funded by academic and industrial partners and will receive significant funding from Vinnova, Sweden’s Innovation Agency.
“Combining the world-class expertise of Dr. Evren Alici’s research group and Karolinska Institutet, with Zelluna’s TCR and translational experience, will further strengthen Zelluna’s unique position to develop next generation TCR guided NK cells that will offer a unique off-the-shelf treatment option for solid-cancer patients,” said Namir Hassan, CEO, Zelluna Immunotherapy. “Entering into the NexGenNK consortium is an additionally important move for Zelluna, which will provide access to a valuable network of organizations with a common goal of utilizing the power of NK cells. These partnerships underscore our ambition to collaborate with leading institutions to rapidly develop and advance novel TCR-NK therapies into the clinic.”
Photo of Namir Hassan: Zelluna Immunotherapy
