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news.Eli Lilly and Company has entered into a preclinical research collaboration with ImaginAb to study potential new T-cell-based immuno-oncology therapies.
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Under the deal, ImaginAb will be responsible for conducting preclinical research using its immune imaging agent, IAB22M2C (a clinical anti-human CD8 probe), to detect T-cell trafficking, redirection and infiltration in response to Lilly oncology molecules.
Additionally, ImaginAb will maintain full rights to its imaging agents used as part of the research project.
According to the research, pre-existing CD8-positive T-cells, also known as cytotoxic T-cells, are associated with favorable clinical response to anti-PD-1 therapy in melanoma.
The company noted that IAB22M2C is a PET-based imaging agent that detects CD8-positive T-cells and provides a whole-body picture of immune response, potentially enabling better patient selection and mechanistic understanding of immune-modulating treatments.
Lilly oncology research vice president Greg Plowman said: "This collaboration demonstrates Lilly’s commitment to advancing biomarker-driven cancer therapies.
"ImaginAb has developed a highly specific and novel approach for visualizing a patient’s immune response, and we are excited to explore applications of this technology as part of our immuno-oncology drug development efforts."
Lilly’s oncology pipeline comprises several molecules that impact the immune system, in addition to numerous other agents directly targeting the tumor, its vasculature or the surrounding microenvironment.