Transgene, the biotech pioneering virus-based immunotherapies, has signed a license agreement with NEC Bio, the biotech arm of IT and AI powerhouse NEC Corporation, to accelerate development of a personalized cancer vaccine. 

TG4050 is an individualized neoantigen therapeutic vaccine (INTV) for patients with resected HPV-negative head and neck cancer. 

TG4050 harnesses Transgene’s myvac platform and NEC’s AI-powered neoantigen prediction technology to tailor vaccines to each patient’s tumor. The therapy aims to prevent relapse and extend disease-free survival by educating the immune system to target tumor-specific mutations. 

Under the deal, Transgene gains access to NEC’s AI platform for further clinical development, commercialization, and potential partnerships, while NEC retains full operational control of its technology. The agreement includes a €2.5 million technology access fee in Transgene shares, an additional €2.5 million in cash through 2028, milestone-based payments, and a share of profits or licensing revenue. 

“Building on the results of our long-standing collaboration and with the license to use NEC’s prediction platform, we are now in a strong position to pursue further development of TG4050, which will be informed by data from our ongoing Phase 2 trial.  

"We are also pleased to welcome NEC as a shareholder of Transgene and appreciate their confidence as we work together to advance a treatment that has the potential to improve the outcomes for patients at risk of relapse in head and neck cancer,” said Alessandro Riva, Chairman and CEO of Transgene. 

“This agreement is an important milestone in our partnership with Transgene and reflects NEC’s long-term commitment to the development of TG4050. This collaboration is a clear example of how NEC can bring differentiated AI capabilities to biopharma.  

"The clinical data generated to date is encouraging and support the potential of TG4050 as a promising approach to reducing relapse risk in patients with head and neck cancer. We look forward to deepening our collaboration with Transgene and to realizing the full clinical and strategic potential of this partnership,” added Akira Kitamura, GM of NEC’s AI Drug Development Division and CEO of NEC Bio.