BITT Announces CD40 Otsuka Deal and New NIH Funding for TNFR2 Trial

Boston Immune Technologies and Therapeutics, Inc. (BITT), a clinical stage company focused on developing innovative antagonist antibodies for tumor necrosis factor superfamily receptors (TNFSR), has announced a new partnership and funding development. The collaboration is with the McQuade Center for Strategic Research and Development, LLC (MSRD), which is part of the Otsuka family of pharmaceutical companies. This partnership will see MSRD funding crucial non-human primate studies for BITT’s CD40 antagonist’s pre-clinical development. In exchange, MSRD gains the exclusive right to negotiate terms for acquisition, licensing, or collaboration related to this asset.

In addition to this collaboration, BITT has been awarded a $4 million grant from the National Institute of Health (NIH) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI). This funding is allocated to support the ongoing Phase I clinical trial of BITT’s leading TNFR2 antagonist. Russell LaMontagne, Co-Founder and CEO of BITT, expressed optimism about the agreement with Otsuka, emphasizing that it provides substantial resources toward BITT’s objective of filing an Investigational New Drug (IND) application for their CD40 antagonist program by 2025. He also highlighted that this NIH/NCI grant is the second of its kind for BITT’s TNFR2 oncology program, reinforcing the innovative nature of their antibody and the promising potential of TNFR2 as a therapeutic target.

Boston Immune Technologies and Therapeutics, Inc., based in Boston, MA, specializes in creating a novel class of antagonist antibodies targeting TNF superfamily receptors. These antibodies have a wide range of applications, including in oncology, inflammation, autoimmunity, and infectious diseases, and are developed using the company’s proprietary DOMab™ platform. BITT's lead candidate, BIR2101, is already undergoing clinical trials. BIR2101 is a monoclonal antibody designed to target tumor necrosis factor receptor 2 (TNFR2). Alongside this, BITT is also working on additional antibodies aimed at TNF superfamily receptors for various conditions related to inflammation, oncology, and infectious diseases.