On June 7, 2024, global biopharmaceutical company Ipsen and clinical-stage biotech company Marengo Therapeutics announced the expansion of their ongoing oncology research partnership to include TriSTAR, Marengo’s next-generation, precision T cell engager (TCE) technology. Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati advised Marengo Therapeutics on the transaction.

Traditional TCEs targeting “cold” tumors have limited efficacy due to poor T cell quality and exhaustion. Marengo’s proprietary first-in-class TriSTAR TCEs have the potential to overcome these limitations, redirecting a new and expanded pool of highly activated memory Vβ T cells to the tumor. The teams will focus on exploring potential in cold tumors, which typically fail to trigger a strong immune response when treated with TCEs.

Under the terms of the agreement, Ipsen will assume responsibility for all activities following development candidate nomination. Marengo will receive an upfront payment and potential payments up to a total of $1.2 billion if all milestones are met, in addition to tiered sales royalty payments.

The Wilson Sonsini team advising Marengo Therapeutics on the transaction included Mark Bellomy, Chris McAndrew, Lauren Wardle, and Angel Wang.

For more information, please see the companies’ news release.