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. It can also be of interest in chronic inflammation situations, as some innate immunity cells participate to the regulation of overactivated immune cells. 

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.

During the course of its development, the Company has continued to target regulatory checkpoints of innate immunity, while broadening the mechanism of action beyond immuno-modulation. In this perspective, some of our drug candidates, such as IPH 4101, target original tumoral antigens, with a direct cytotoxic approach. In parallel to this evolution, Innate Pharma has gained an expertise in the development of antibody drug-candidates, which today represent its whole candidate pipeline.