Epitopea Strikes Research Collaboration with Merck, Appoints Klaus Edvardsen as Chief Medical Officer

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Epitopea, a transatlantic cancer immunotherapeutics company specializing in RNA-based immunotherapies, has announced two recent major developments to facilitate the company’s growth.

Epitopea has entered into a license and research collaboration agreement with Merck to identify Cryptigen tumor-specific antigens (TSAs) in an undisclosed solid tumor. According to the company, non-mutated TSAs are discovered through its CryptoMap platform, revealing aberrantly expressed antigens derived from what is considered to be “junk DNA.”¹

“Epitopea has been at the forefront of identifying Cryptigen TSAs, whose intratumor shared nature across patients has made them ideal targets for the development of off-the-shelf immunotherapies,” said Alan C. Rigby, CEO, Epitopea, in a press release. “At Epitopea, we continue to accelerate the development of our preclinical pipeline as we transition to a clinical-stage company on the ‘heels’ of our recent, oversubscribed, pre-Series A financing. We believe that this strategic collaborative relationship with MSD, a leader in immunotherapy therapeutic development, provides us with an additional opportunity to validate the potential impact of these differentiated tumor specific antigens. We are thrilled to collaborate with MSD as our teams collectively look to impact the lives of patients with cancer by helping to improve outcomes.”

Under terms of the agreement, Merck will obtain exclusive rights to develop and commercialize therapies stemming from the collaboration. Epitopea will receive a currently undisclosed upfront payment, with the potential to receive up to $300 million per product.¹

“Despite the remarkable progress made in cancer treatment over the past decade, more therapeutic options are needed,” said George Addona, SVP, discovery, preclinical development and translational medicine, Merck Research Laboratories, in the press release. “We continue to explore new ways to build upon our strong foundation in immuno-oncology and look forward to collaborating with the Epitopea team.”

Epitopea also announced the appointment of Klaus Edvardsen, MD, PhD, as chief medical officer. Edvardsen previously served in several senior roles, most recently as chief development officer for Nykode Therapeutics, overseeing regulatory affairs, clinical development, and project management across oncology, infectious diseases, and autoimmune diseases. Additionally, Edvardsen worked as both chief medical officer and chief development officer at CureVac, as well as SVP and head of global oncology development at Merck Healthcare KgaA.²

“I am truly honored to join Epitopea at this pivotal time in its journey. The company’s pioneering work in leveraging Cryptigen as a novel class of tumor-specific antigens offers a unique opportunity to redefine cancer immunotherapy. I look forward to collaborating with Epitopea’s talented team to drive the development of transformational therapies that can address significant unmet needs for patients with hard-to-treat cancers,” Edvardsen said in a press release.

Notably, Edvardsen contributed to the development of therapies such as Tagrisso, Lynpara, and Calquence during his time as EVP and head of global medicines development oncology at AstraZeneca. Additionally, he was credited with securing the fastest FDA and EMA approval for Tagrisso in non-small cell lung cancer and in advancing Lynparza for multiple indications, including ovarian and metastatic breast cancers.²

“We are thrilled to welcome Klaus to our executive leadership team at such an important stage in Epitopea’s growth. Klaus’s experience and expertise in oncology drug development and his proven track record of leading innovative therapies from concept to regulatory approval will be instrumental as we advance our pipeline into clinical trials. His leadership undoubtedly strengthens our mission to develop durable, off-the-shelf cancer immunotherapies that can profoundly improve patient outcomes,” Rigby said in the release.

References

1. Epitopea Announces License and Research Collaboration Agreement with MSD to Identify CryptigenTM Tumor-Specific Antigens. Epitopea. February 19, 2025. Accessed February 19, 2025. https://www.epitopea.com/epitopea-announces-license-and-research-collaboration-agreement-with-msd-to-identify-cryptigentm-tumor-specific-antigens/

2. Epitopea Appoints Klaus Edvardsen M.D., Ph.D. as Chief Medical Officer. Epitipea. February 7, 2025. Accessed February 19, 2025. https://www.epitopea.com/epitopea-appoints-klaus-edvardsen-m-d-ph-d-as-chief-medical-officer/