LUMICKS enters collaboration with LAVA Therapeutics to characterize its tumor-specific γδ T-cell engagers

Amsterdam, the Netherlands – December 4, 2020 – In their quest of creating safe and effective immunotherapy cancer treatments, LUMICKS and LAVA Therapeutics joined forces. The partnership aims to evaluate the efficacy of various tumor-specific γδ T-cell engagers based on the resulting binding strengths (cell avidity) between T cells and tumors, measured with LUMICKS newly installed z-Movi^® Cell Avidity Analyzer.

LAVA Therapeutics develops off-the-shelf bispecific antibodies engineered to simultaneously bind Vγ9Vδ2 T cells and tumor cells to activate tumor-cell killing. The first two γδ T-cell engagers are expected to enter the clinic in 2021.

The company will use the z-Movi^® to evaluate select Vγ9Vδ2 T-cell engagers for intercellular binding characteristics in relation to their potential to activate Vγ9Vδ2 T cell-induced tumor killing. Comparison of avidities will provide insights that contribute to the development of future tumor-specific Vγ9Vδ2 T cell engagers.

“We’re thrilled to join forces with LAVA Therapeutics, providing them with an effective tool to better understand characteristics of different γδ T-cell engagers and facilitate selection of top candidates for future clinical trials,” said Zhong Yu, senior global product manager at LUMICKS. “Measurements with the z-Movi^® offer an unprecedented approach to study intercellular interactions, which are predictive of T-cell efficacy, and accelerate the development of tumor-specific T-cell engagers as well as other immunotherapeutic candidates.”

About LUMICKS

LUMICKS is a leading life science tools company that develops equipment for dynamic single-molecule and cell avidity analysis, two rapidly emerging areas in biology research and immuno-oncology. LUMICKS’ tools allow researchers to build the crucial and as yet unfinished bridge between structure and function at both a molecular and a cellular level. This is achieved by applying and measuring forces around biological interactions, enabling the detailed real-time analysis of underlying biological mechanisms. LUMICKS’ C-Trap^® Optical Tweezers – Fluorescence & Label-free Microscopy, allows scientists to analyze complex biological processes in real-time. Similarly, the z-Movi^® Cell Avidity Analyzer enables the measurement and selection of immune cells based on their real-time interactions with target cells.

About LAVA Therapeutics

LAVA Therapeutics is developing a proprietary T-cell engager therapeutics platform for the treatment of hematological and solid cancers. The company’s first-in-class immuno-oncology approach uses bispecific antibodies that activate Vγ9Vδ2 T-cells upon binding to membrane-expressed tumor targets. LAVA was founded in 2016 based on intellectual property originating from the Amsterdam University Medical Center. The company has established a highly experienced research and development team located in Utrecht, the Netherlands and Philadelphia, USA. For more information, please visit www.lavatherapeutics.com.