UMC Utrecht spin-off company TigaTx, Inc. recently announced that the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) has awarded up to $33.5 million in funding. Separately, TigaTx was awarded a $2 million grant from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health. TigaTx is a biotech company that develops engineered immunoglobulin A (IgA) monoclonal antibodies for a broad range of diseases, including cancer and infectious diseases.
Many immune cell types, such as T cells, natural killer (NK) cells and macrophages, are currently engaged by anti-cancer immunotherapies, resulting in increasingly successful outcomes for cancer patients. However, neutrophils, the first line of defense in infection and inflammation, are the most abundant immune cells in human circulation and have not yet been harnessed by cancer immunotherapies. Although neutrophils are often associated with poor prognosis in cancer patients, with the proper stimulation, such as IgA, they can be activated to become anti-cancer effector cells. Moreover, as innate killer cells they can cross-talk with other cells of the innate as well as the adaptive immune system, thereby further propagating the anti-tumor cascade.
The novel technology platform, developed by TigaTx, builds on antibody research at the Center of Translational Immunology at UMC Utrecht under supervision of Jeanette Leusen, PhD, professor of Antibody Therapy. It leverages engineered monomeric IgA to bind to and potently activate neutrophils, unleashing their powerful anti-tumor killing ability to treat cancer. This technology yields IgA molecules that have drug-like properties and overcomes historical challenges associated with the manufacturing of IgA.
TigaTx B.V. started in 2018 as an UMC Utrecht spin-off, with Utrecht Holdings (the knowledge transfer office of UMC Utrecht) and Jeanette Leusen as the scientific founder. After a successful Seed Investment round, the company moved in 2023 to Boston, MA (U.S.A.) as TigaTx Inc. The funding by ARPA-H and NCI will allow TigaTx to advance its lead program TIGA-001 (an IgA-based monoclonal antibody) into clinical stage by starting First-in-Human studies. The distinct neutrophil activation-targeted mechanism of action of TIGA-001 has the potential to benefit patients with resistance or intolerance to current anti-cancer therapies.
In parallel, the new funding will enable TigaTx to expand its engineered IgA platform to develop antibodies for the treatment of infectious diseases. With increasing emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria and persistent and emergent viral threats, TigaTx will develop secretory and dimeric IgA as a new therapeutic class in this area of urgent medical need.
Jeanette Leusen said: “The concept of engineered IgA-based neutrophil engagers that we have developed at UMC Utrecht has the potential to revolutionize cancer therapy by harnessing the neutrophils’ innate killing power. Further expanding this new concept to dimeric IgA also opens a new frontier to address the growing threat of infectious diseases. Thanks to the pioneering work performed at UMC Utrecht, this is an excellent example of valorization at UMC Utrecht to showcase how fundamental science can ultimately impact patients’ lives by turning scientific discoveries into new potential therapies for treatment of disease.”
Despite promising progress, the road from laboratory research to clinical application remains littered with scientific, financial, and regulatory challenges. The high cost of clinical development and the need for advanced manufacturing facilities underscore the complexity of translating scientific discoveries into effective treatments. Nevertheless, progress in the development of IgA-based therapies illustrates the potential of these antibodies. As the first Utrecht professor with a valorization profile, Jeanette Leusen emphasizes the importance of knowledge creation for societal benefit, focused on patient welfare. In an academic setting this requires collaborating with biotech companies, protecting intellectual property, initiating startups, and participating in public-private partnerships to translate academic research into practical applications that serve a broad societal interest.
UMC Utrecht, Utrecht Holdings and TigaTx Inc. have entered into agreements on the use of Intellectual Property Rights under which UMC Utrecht is eligible to a share of future revenues, which will in part be re-invested in the research that have led to these important findings to promote the further development of new therapies and thereby increase the impact on patients’ lives.
