Historically, our products are active on innate immunity cells, some of which can be activated to destroy tumor cells or cells infected by viruses. The activation of innate immunity also plays a key role in regulating immune responses, notably in implementing immune memory and controlling tolerance for potentially pathogenic elements. This is particularly important in the case of cancers which the immune system is not able to control because, as it becomes tolerant to a tumor, the tumor is no longer recognized as a foreign element.

The development of drug candidates activating these new targets was made possible by a number of scientific breakthroughs in the 1990s, describing the activation mechanisms of innate immunity cell populations at the molecular level. Our founders have significantly contributed to this new science: Marc Bonneville and Jean-Jacques Fournié for γδ T cells; Alessandro and Lorenzo Moretta for NK cells.

These scientific breakthroughs have led the way to the development of new drug candidate classes. Historically, we have primarily focused on unconventional lymphocytes (NKs and γ9δ2 T cells), a field in which the founding scientists of the Company have made decisive contributions. Two program targeting TLRs have been started later on.

During the course of its development, the Company has broadened its targets beyond innate immunity while still focusing on first-in-class drug candidates. In this perspective, some of our drug candidates, such as IPH 4201, target original tumoral antigens.