Partnerships
Partnering structure :
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Strategic equity investment
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Onward is the majority shareholder
Onward works in collaboration with Emercell who have developed generic cell immunotherapy (OT-C001) derived from Natural Killer (NK) cells, to be used in synergy with antibodies.
Emercell is a biopharmaceutical company located in Montpellier, France within Saint-Eloi University Hospital Center.
Partnering structure :
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Exclusive worldwide license and co-development agreement on OT-A201
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Strategic equity investment
BIOMUNEX Pharmaceuticals is a biopharmaceutical company based in Paris, led by an international team, focused on the discovery and development of disruptive immuno-therapeutics in oncology, thanks to its proprietary next-generation bi- and multi-specific antibody, the BiXAb® platform. In particular, BIOMUNEX is developing a disruptive biological approach, the so-called BiXAb-MAIT engagers, that redirect MAIT cells to kill cancer cells, and can become a true game changer in the treatment of cancer patients.
Onward Therapeutic has entered into an exclusive collaboration and worldwide option and license agreement with ICM based on a research program in onco-metabolism (OT-S00X).
Created in 1923, the ICM is one of the 18 French Cancer Control Centers (CLCC), members of Unicancer, the only French hospital network dedicated 100% to the fight against cancer.
Its mission is to care for local and regional patients, and offer them innovative scientific, technological, and organizational care, particularly for breast cancer, digestive cancers, gynaecological cancers, prostate cancer, sarcomas, and more.
Founded in 2005, Medicen Paris Region is the competitiveness cluster dedicated to healthcare in the Île-de-France region. This unique network brings together more than 450 healthcare innovation stakeholders, including 370 healthtech startups and SMEs, healthcare manufacturers, as well as the region's leading research institutes and healthcare facilities.
By bringing together public and private stakeholders around innovation challenges to develop tomorrow's therapeutic and diagnostic solutions, Medicen acts as a trusted third party supporting the development and implementation of healthcare projects.
The OT-S00X program was awarded in 2025 the Medicen label in accordance with its charter.
Bpifrance is a financial institution who finances and supports businesses—at every stage of their development—with credit, guarantees, innovation support, and equity. In doing so, Bpifrance supports public policies implemented by the French State and the Regions.
The OT-C001 Project has been selected as part of France 2030 plan "Biotherapies and bioproduction of innovative therapies" and Emercell has been granted financial support from bpifrance.