NEC and Transgene Announce a Collaboration in the Field of Individualized Cancer Immunotherapy, Leveraging NEC's AI and Transgene's myvac Platform
TOKYO, Oct 30, 2018 - (JCN Newswire) - NEC Corporation (TSE: 6701) and Transgene today announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for a strategic collaboration aimed at the treatment of solid cancers. The companies will cooperate in clinically assessing the predictive capabilities of NEC's artificial intelligence (AI) and the therapeutic potential of Transgene's myvac(1) MVA-based viral vector platform in an individualized immunotherapy for the treatment of solid cancers. The experimental products from this collaboration are expected to enter clinical trials in 2019.
| (from left: Eric Quemeneur, Pharm.D., Ph.D., Executive VP, Chief Scientific Officer, Transgene; Kaidre Bendjama, Transgene; Motoo Nishihara, Senior Vice President, Head of NEC Laboratories; Osamu Fujikawa, Senior Vice President, Business Innovation Unit, NEC Corporation) | |
NEC and Transgene will co-invest in the first stage of development of an individualized immunotherapy, which includes clinical trials focusing on ovarian cancer and HPV-negative head and neck cancer.
Immunotherapy is rapidly becoming the treatment of choice to fight cancer as it activates the patient's own immune system to attack cancer cells.
NEC and Transgene have capitalized on the recent progress in AI and advances in genome sequencing to create individualized immunotherapy, which is adapted to the unique characteristics of each patient's mutational landscape as well as their predicted immune responses. The product is based on a viral vector (MVA) developed by Transgene with a proven clinical safety track record and is known for its efficient immunogenicity and anti-tumor efficacy in patients.
The viral vector will be used to target neoantigens identified using NEC's proprietary algorithm. NEC has been developing solutions in the drug discovery field for close to two decades. NEC's neoantigen prediction system(2) was developed and validated based on publicly available databases, as well as internal wet lab datasets, some of which were already used to identify clinically relevant antigens in other oncology indications.
These planned clinical trials leverage the world-leading expertise and technologies of a network of companies and research centers, including:
NEC's cutting-edge AI technology, "NEC the WISE"(3), for identifying and prioritizing patient-specific neoantigens, and Transgene's unrivaled MVA-based, viral vector technology and the myvac platform.
"The emerging personalized medicine field holds great potential for the application of NEC's core technology, and we are pleased to be working with Transgene with the goal of developing state-of-the-art personalized immunotherapies," said Motoo Nishihara, Senior Vice President, Head of NEC Laboratories.
"Engaging the body's own immune system in the fight against cancer has shown great promise and sparked unprecedented interest among oncology drug makers. This makes it imperative for NEC to become part of the immunotherapy race as soon as possible," said Osamu Fujikawa, Senior Vice President, Business Innovation Unit, NEC Corporation.
"This collaboration brings together artificial intelligence and our expertise in viral vector engineering to enable the development of a truly innovative treatment based on the myvac platform. We believe that our collaboration with NEC will allow us to provide an efficacious and robust therapy for the many patients who have solid tumors and could benefit from this cutting-edge individualized approach, and to successfully advance the development of the myvac platform to the market" said Eric Quemeneur, Pharm.D., Ph.D., Executive VP, Chief Scientific Officer of Transgene.
(1) myvac myvac is a viral vector (MVA) based, individualized immunotherapy platform that has been developed by Transgene to target solid tumors. The myvac-derived products are designed to stimulate the patient's immune system, recognize and destroy tumors using the patient's own cancer specific genetic mutations. Transgene has set up an innovative network that combines bioengineering, digital transformation, established vectorization know-how and unique manufacturing capabilities. (2) NEC's Neoantigen Prediction System NEC's neoantigen prediction utilizes its proprietary AI, such as graph-based relational learning, which is combined with other sources of data to discover candidate neoantigen targets. NEC comprehensively evaluates the candidate neoantigens with a primary focus placed on its in-house MHC-binding affinity prediction. These allow NEC to effectively prioritize the numerous candidate neoantigens identified in a single patient. (3) NEC the WISE NEC the WISE is a term for the Company's cutting-edge portfolio of AI technologies. Press release: NEC announces new AI technology brand, "NEC the WISE" https://www.nec.com/en/press/201607/global_20160719_01.html NEC's AI Research: https://www.nec.com/en/global/rd/crl/ai/index.html
Contact:NEC
Seiichiro Toda
s-toda@cj.jp.nec.com
+81-3-3798-6511
Source: NEC Corporation Sectors: Cloud & Enterprise, BioTech
Copyright ©2024 JCN Newswire. All rights reserved. A division of Japan Corporate News Network.
|
Latest Press Release
Fujitsu SX Survey reveals key success factors for sustainability Apr 23, 2024 10:25 JST
| Fujitsu and METRON collaborate to drive ESG success: slashing energy costs, boosting productivity with new manufacturing industry solutions Apr 22, 2024 16:09 JST
| NEC Strengthens Commitment to Space Industry with Investment in Seraphim Space Venture Fund II Apr 22, 2024 15:09 JST
| Soft Space Launches the First and Only JCB Payment Gateway in Malaysia Apr 22, 2024 15:00 JST
| TOYOTA GAZOO Racing takes a one-two in Croatian thriller Apr 22, 2024 10:47 JST
| First-ever Mazda CX-80 Crossover SUV Unveiled in Europe Apr 19, 2024 13:50 JST
| Fujitsu develops technology to convert corporate digital identity credentials, enabling participation of non-European companies in European data spaces Apr 19, 2024 10:17 JST
| Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and NGK to Jointly Develop Hydrogen Purification System from Ammonia Cracking Gas Apr 18, 2024 17:01 JST
| Toyota Launches All-New Land Cruiser "250" Series in Japan Apr 18, 2024 13:39 JST
| Fujitsu and Oracle collaborate to deliver sovereign cloud and AI capabilities in Japan Apr 18, 2024 11:14 JST
| Eisai: Research on Treatments for Alzheimer's Disease Based on Its Pathological Mechanisms Recieves Award for Science and Technology (Research Category) Apr 18, 2024 10:53 JST
| All-New Triton Confirmed as First Double-Cab Pickup Truck to Achieve 2024 Five-Star ANCAP Safety Rating Apr 18, 2024 09:22 JST
| Eisai's Antiepileptic Drug Fycompa Injection Formulation Launched In Japan Apr 17, 2024 16:17 JST
| Honda Unveils Next-generation EV Series for China Apr 17, 2024 12:15 JST
| Lexus presents Time at the 2024 Milan Design Week Apr 16, 2024 18:49 JST
| Mitsubishi Corporation Announces Participation in a DAC Project in Louisiana, USA Apr 16, 2024 14:36 JST
| New circuit challenge for TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Apr 15, 2024 17:21 JST
| TOYOTA GAZOO Racing back on asphalt for Croatian challenge Apr 12, 2024 19:36 JST
| Heidelberg Materials North America Announces Latest Milestone in Edmonton CCUS Project Apr 12, 2024 14:39 JST
| MHIAEL Completes Expansion of the its Nagasaki Plant for Manufacture of Aero Engine Combustors Apr 11, 2024 18:08 JST
|
More Latest Release >>
|