Immunocore Signs With Pharma Partners

Immunocore, an Oxford, England-based biotech firm, has two new collaborations around its ImmTACs, bispecific proteins that trigger the immune system to recognize and kill cancer or viral cells. With Glaxo­SmithKline, it will look at multiple targets not addressable using antibody-based technologies. GSK will pay up to $211 million in preclinical fees across all the targets and up to $297 million more in milestone payments for each product that reaches the market. Meanwhile, Genentech will pay up to $20 million per cancer program it initiates with Immunocore and possibly more than $300 million in milestone payments for each resulting product.