Ipsen, Marengo Therapeutics form oncology partnership

Ipsen and Marengo Therapeutics have entered into a strategic partnership to advance two preclinical candidates from Marengo’s STAR platform into the clinical development phase. This collaboration is designed to harness Marengo’s cutting-edge T cell activation technology alongside Ipsen’s comprehensive global oncology infrastructure. The goal is to create new treatments for cancer.

According to the agreement, Ipsen will provide an initial payment of $45 million to Marengo. Additionally, Marengo could receive milestone payments that may reach up to $1.592 billion, along with tiered royalties based on sales. Marengo will spearhead the preclinical development and manage associated costs until an Investigational New Drug (IND) application is submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Upon submission of the IND, Ipsen will take over the responsibilities for clinical development and the eventual commercialization of the drugs.

Ipsen has a notable focus on the development of medications in the fields of oncology, rare diseases, and neuroscience. Marengo Therapeutics, an ATP company, is dedicated to creating therapeutics that specifically activate T cell responses to target cancer. Marengo’s STAR platform is designed to produce selective T cell activators that aim to generate effective, cancer-destroying T cells for solid tumor treatment.

Notably, Ipsen recently achieved FDA approval for Onivyde (irinotecan liposome) in combination with oxaliplatin, fluorouracil, and leucovorin as a first-line treatment for metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma. This approval was based on the results of the NAPOLI 3 trial. Onivyde, a liposomal topoisomerase inhibitor acquired from Merrimack Pharmaceuticals in 2017, works by interfering with DNA replication in cancer cells.