Selexis SA, a JSR Life Sciences company, and NexImmune Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing unique approaches to T cell immunotherapies, have signed a service agreement to develop cell lines targeting rare cancers and autoimmune diseases and to advance two HLAs that can be used to expand treatments to more patients.
 
Per the agreement, NexImmune will leverage Selexis’ SUREtechnology Platform, a suite of cell line development technologies that significantly reduce the time, effort, and costs associated with developing high-performance mammalian cell lines.
 
The Selexis-generated cell lines will be used to manufacture HLA IgG4 fusion proteins and T cell co-stimulatory monoclonal antibodies that will be incorporated into NexImmune’s proprietary AIM injectable nanoparticle modality. These nanoparticles are designed to be an off-the-shelf injectable modality to engage a patient’s own T cells to identify and kill a variety of diseased cells within the body.
 
“We are pleased to support NexImmune’s exciting programs. Its innovative T cell modulating nanotechnology has the potential to create therapies that provide better outcomes for patients suffering from rare forms of cancer and autoimmune diseases,” said Mark W. Womack, chief executive officer of Selexis and KBI Biopharma. “We are excited to continue our longstanding relationship with NexImmune and are proud to be its cell line development provider of choice. We look forward to helping advance their novel immunotherapies to the clinic.”
 
NexImmune’s off-the-shelf AIM injectable nanoparticles, decorated with antigen-specific peptides and co-stimulatory molecules, have the ability to engage antigen-specific T cell populations at multiple sites in the body and specifically stimulate or tolerize them to address a range of diseases, including cancers and autoimmune disorders for which there are currently no effective cellular therapies available.
 
“We are thrilled to have a partner in Selexis, as an industry-leading cell line development provider,” said NexImmune chief scientific officer, Mathias Oelke. “Our long-established working relationship made the decision to partner with them again an easy choice. We look forward to working together as we develop biologics that have the potential to make a real difference in patients’ lives.”