Bristol Myers Squibb to Use OGAP-Verify for Solid Tumour T-Cell Engager Discovery
Bristol Myers Squibb will pay an undisclosed upfront fee to access Oxford BioTherapeutics’ OGAP-Verify platform for identifying novel solid tumour targets and designing T-cell engagers. OBT will handle preclinical candidate delivery and earn milestones plus royalties, while BMS assumes all subsequent R&D and commercialization.
1. Partnership Terms
Bristol Myers Squibb has entered into a collaboration with Oxford BioTherapeutics, granting BMS access to OBT’s OGAP-Verify discovery platform for an undisclosed upfront fee. This alliance focuses on co-discovering novel T-cell engager therapies against solid tumours, leveraging OBT’s target identification technology.
2. Discovery Platform
OGAP-Verify is designed to screen and validate tumour-specific antigens that have not been drugged by existing modalities. By integrating this platform, BMS aims to expand its oncology pipeline with TCEs directed at targets covering the 85% of cancer patients currently ineligible for approved antibody treatments.
3. Development and Commercialization
Under the agreement, OBT will design and deliver development candidates through the preclinical stage, after which Bristol Myers Squibb will assume responsibility for all further R&D, clinical development and commercial launch. OBT is eligible for defined milestone payments as well as royalties on net sales of any resulting therapies.
4. Strategic Rationale
This collaboration aligns with OBT’s hybrid model of generating revenue through pharma partnerships while advancing its internal oncology pipeline without external funding. For BMS, the deal bolsters its targeted therapy portfolio amid rising investor interest in TCEs and other personalised oncology approaches.