Seeking Innovations to Improve Intratumoral CD8 T-Cell Dysfunction

Daiichi Sankyo, a global pharmaceutical company, is seeking compounds and drug targets that restore CD8 T-cell function within solid tumors to induce or maintain durable anti-tumor immunity. 

Approaches of Interest:

• Compounds and novel drug targets that prevent or reverse CD8 T-cell dysfunction, such as exhaustion, in the tumor microenvironment to induce or maintain lasting anti-tumor responses 
• Diseases of interest include all solid tumor types, and all therapeutic modalities are within scope 
• Existing, validated assay systems for evaluating human CD8 T-cell dysfunction 

Out of Scope:

• Hematological cancers 
• Establishment of new assay systems 

Developmental Stages of Interest:

• Opportunities from basic research through to Phase I are within scope 
• Data from human-derived cells (e.g. PBMCs), ex vivo culture systems, or clinical specimens is of highest interest, although in vivo data will still be considered 

Submission Information

Submission of one-page, 200–300-word briefs is encouraged, along with any optional supplementary information e.g. relevant publications. In submitting to this campaign, you confirm that your submission contains only non-confidential information. 

Opportunity for Collaboration

Our client is open to a range of collaboration opportunities, with the most appropriate outcome being decided on a case-by-case basis. Example outcomes include licensing assets, project/PhD funding, and research collaborations.