Innovative LAG-3 Immunotherapy in Oncology and Autoimmune Diseases

When our Chief Scientific Officer, Dr. Frédéric Triebel, first discovered Lymphocyte Activation Gene-3 (LAG-3), he realized there was a novel pathway that could lead to valuable therapeutics for patients by harnessing the power of their own immune systems. This view centered on his findings around the interaction of LAG-3 and one of the central components of how our bodies respond to cancer, autoimmune diseases, and infection - the major histocompatibility complex class II (MHC II) - found on antigen-presenting cells.

Since those discoveries, Immutep has been a pioneer in developing therapeutics that are distinctly designed around the interplay of LAG-3 and MHC II to either stimulate or suppress the immune system to fight cancer or eradicate autoimmune diseases. Today, we have a diversified portfolio of cutting-edge immuno-oncology and targeted LAG-3 immunotherapy including three clinical stage candidates, one pre-clinical candidate, and one candidate that is early-stage.

Oncology Portfolio

  • Igniting the Immune Response via Antigen Presenting Cells (APC)
    Our lead clinical candidate, eftilagimod alpha (efti / IMP321), is a first-in-class soluble LAG-3 protein delivered subcutaneously that uniquely activates APCs (e.g., dendritic cells, monocytes) via a specific subset of MHC II ligands, stimulating both the adaptive & innate immune systems to fight cancer. The broad immune response elicited by efti includes significant increases of various anti-tumor cells and serum biomarkers that corresponds with encouraging outcomes in numerous clinical trials.

  • Blocking LAG-3 On T Cells to Boost an Immune Response
    As a co-inhibitory receptor, LAG-3’s expression on T cells has a negative feedback mechanism that cancer utilizes to hide from the immune system. Immutep designed the world’s first anti-LAG-3 antibody to block LAG-3 and remove the brakes on the immune system to better respond to cancer. Our subsequent efforts led to LAG525 (ieramilimab), the anti-LAG-3 clinical candidate we have out-licensed to Novartis. Today, Immutep continues to innovate in blocking LAG-3 on T cells through a novel, small molecule anti-LAG-3 candidate at the early development stage.

Autoimmune Diseases Portfolio

  • Agonist LAG-3 Antibody
    Immutep has developed the world’s first LAG-3 agonist antibody for autoimmune diseases, called IMP761, which acts upstream on activated T cells to target the root cause of self-antigen-specific T cell induced disease. This pre-clinical candidate is a potential game-changer in how autoimmune diseases are treated.

  • Depleting LAG-3 Antibody
    Immutep has out-licensed the clinical candidate GSK’781 (IMP731), a depleting LAG-3 antibody that removes T cells involved in autoimmune diseases, to GlaxoSmithKline. This clinical-stage asset is being transitioned back to Immutep as the licensing agreement has been terminated with an effective date of 30 May 2024.

For more on the Company’s technology and LAG-3 product portfolio, please see Our Science and our Clinical Pipeline.