Immunocore is awarded the Prix Galien France award for KIMMTRAK
OXFORDSHIRE, England & CONSHOHOCKEN, Penn. & ROCKVILLE, Md., US, 15 December 2022) Immunocore Holdings plc (Nasdaq: IMCR) (“Immunocore” or the “Company”), a commercial-stage biotechnology company pioneering the development of a novel class of T cell receptor (TCR) bispecific immunotherapies designed to treat a broad range of diseases, including cancer, autoimmune and infectious diseases, has been awarded the prestigious Prix Galien France 2022 award in the ‘Medicine in Innovative Therapeutics’ category, for KIMMTRAK® (tebentafusp), the world’s first T cell receptor therapy.
Among a number of breakthroughs, KIMMTRAK is the first bispecific T cell engager to receive regulatory approval to treat a solid tumor, and the only approved therapy for the treatment of unresectable or metastatic uveal melanoma.
“We are honored to receive this prestigious award, which is a reflection of the impact of this novel treatment for patients and the innovative technology behind it,” said Bahija Jallal, Immunocore’s Chief Executive Officer. “This award is also a tribute to the teams at Immunocore who have taken KIMMTRAK from bench to bedside, and those working on our future therapies that could benefit more patients living with cancer, as well as infectious diseases and autoimmune conditions.”
KIMMTRAK was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration; the European Commission; and health authorities in the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada in the first half of 2022. The therapy has been available commercially to patients in France since September 2022.
KIMMTRAK’s approved indication, unresectable or metastatic uveal melanoma, is a rare and aggressive form of cancer affecting the eye. Although it is the most common primary intraocular malignancy in adults, the diagnosis is rare, and up to 50% of people with uveal melanoma will eventually develop metastatic disease. Unresectable or metastatic uveal melanoma typically has a poor prognosis and had no specifically approved treatment prior to the approval of KIMMTRAK.
The ImmTAX (Immune Mobilizing Monoclonal TCRs Against X disease) platform upon which KIMMTRAK is based harnesses a patient’s own immune system to fight cancer and, potentially, infectious diseases. The technology is also being evaluated for its potential to treat patients with autoimmune or inflammatory conditions, through targeted down-modulation of the immune system.
The win crowns a highly successful year for Immunocore, one in which the NASDAQ-listed biotech launched its first medicine after 15 years of research into TCR therapies and delivered updates on key investigational therapies in its pipeline, including for HIV, HBV and PRAME-prevalent cancers.
