Partners explore T cell engaging approaches for solid tumours

Evotec and Plectonic Biotech have announced a research collaboration to explore a novel immunotherapy approach for solid tumours.  

The collaboration aims to address key challenges that have so far limited the successful application of traditional T cell engager therapies in solid tumours by combining Plectonic’s programmable LOGIBODY technology with Evotec’s BiTco platform. 

Plectonic’s technology engineers DNA-protein therapeutics designed to recognise tumours through a highly specific combination of tumour-associated antigens before engaging T cells.  

Unlike conventional T cell engagers, LOGIBODY molecules require simultaneous binding to a predefined multi-antigen tumour signature to trigger T cell activation. 

Evotec’s BiTco platform is based on a proprietary, non-blocking CD2 antibody designed to provide an additional costimulatory signal to T cells, enhancing their activity and persistence within the tumour microenvironment. The antibody targets a unique CD2 epitope while preserving its natural interactions, enabling BiTco to strengthen T cell responses, enhance tumour cell killing mediated by T cell engagers, and delay T cell exhaustion. 

The companies will explore whether their integrated technologies can improve both the precision and potency of T cell engaging approaches in solid tumours. Under the terms of the agreement, the collaboration will generate preclinical proof-of-concept data to evaluate the potential of this new generation of approaches. 

Dr Cord Dohrmann, Chief Scientific Officer of Evotec, said: “T cell engagers have demonstrated significant promise in oncology in blood cancers, yet challenges remain in extending their clinical success to solid tumours, which represent approximately 90% of all cancers. Through this collaboration, we aim to evaluate the potential of combining our proprietary BiTco platform with Plectonic’s LOGIBODY technology and explore new strategies to enhance T cell engager activity in solid tumours. Our CD2-based co-stimulation approach is an ideal component for this effort or any TCE development strategy that seeks an effective source of T cell co-stimulation in the solid tumour setting.” 

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