Blog

Utrecht, The Netherlands and Philadelphia, USA – January 5, 2021 – LAVA Therapeutics B.V., a biotechnology company focused on applying its expertise in gamma-delta T-cell engagers to transform cancer therapy, today announced that Stephen Hurly, chief executive officer, will present a corporate overview at the 39^th Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference on Tuesday, January 12, 2021 at 4:55 p.m. ET.

“I’m looking forward to the opportunity to speak about our platform and pipeline,” said Mr. Hurly. “We believe 2021 will be a transformative year for LAVA as two of our programs are scheduled to enter the clinic, and we plan to continue expanding our pipeline.”

About LAVA Therapeutics B.V.

LAVA Therapeutics B.V. is developing a proprietary platform of bispecific engagers of gamma-delta T-cells for the treatment of solid tumors and hematologic malignancies. The company’s leading immuno-oncology approach activates Vγ9Vδ2 T-cells upon binding to membrane-expressed tumor targets. The company’s lead program, LAVA-051, is expected to enter Phase 1/2 clinical development in the first quarter of 2021. The company has established a highly experienced research and development team located in Utrecht, the Netherlands and Philadelphia, USA.

LAVA’s Cautionary Note on Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “expect,” “should,” “plan,” “intend,” “estimate,” “potential” and similar expressions (as well as other words or expressions referencing future events, conditions or circumstances) are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on LAVA’s expectations and assumptions as of the date of this press release. Each of these forward-looking statements involves risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release include, but are not limited to, statements about the progress, timing, clinical development and scope of clinical trials and the reporting of clinical data for LAVA’s product candidates, and the potential use of our product candidates to treat various tumor targets. Many factors may cause differences between current expectations and actual results including unexpected safety or efficacy data observed during preclinical trials, changes in expected or existing competition, changes in the regulatory environment, the COVID-19 pandemic may disrupt our business and that of the third parties on which we depend, including delaying or otherwise disrupting our clinical trials and preclinical studies, manufacturing and supply chain, or impairing employee productivity, failure of LAVA’s collaborators to support or advance collaborations or product candidates and unexpected litigation or other disputes, among others. LAVA assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in expectations, even as new information becomes available.

Contacts

Keely Zipp
k.zipp@lavatherapeutics.com

Utrecht, The Netherlands & Philadelphia – LAVA Therapeutics, a biotech company pioneering the development of bispecific antibodies to engage gamma-delta T cells for cancer therapies, today announced the closing of an oversubscribed $83 million (€71 million) Series C financing to fund the advancement of its pipeline and platform. The financing was co-led by new investors Novo Ventures, the venture arm of Novo Holdings, and Sanofi Ventures, and included additional new investors Redmile Group, LLC, Ysios Capital and BB Pureos Bioventures. In addition, current investors Versant, Gilde Healthcare and MRL Ventures Fund, LLC participated significantly in the round.

As part of the transaction, Nanna Lüneborg, partner at Novo Ventures, Laia Crespo, EU head of investments at Sanofi Ventures, and Joël Jean-Mairet, managing partner and co-founder of Ysios, joined LAVA as members of the board of directors.

“We are grateful to have attracted a high-quality syndicate of new investors complementing strong continued support of our existing investors. This financing provides meaningful capital to advance our bispecific gamma-delta T cell engager portfolio into multiple proof-of-concept clinical trials expected to start in 2021 for the treatment of solid tumors and hematologic malignancies,” said Stephen Hurly, chief executive officer of LAVA Therapeutics. “We believe our targeted approach, leveraging the unique features of gamma9-delta2 T cells with innovative bispecific antibodies, will deliver novel T cell-based therapies offering advantages over today’s oncology treatments. In addition to the funding raised, the appointments of Nanna, Laia and Joël to our board further strengthen our team, and we look forward to benefiting from their insights and industry expertise.”

Gamma-delta T cells are the natural surveillance cells of the immune system, continuously patrolling the human body for the identification and targeting of tumor cells. These cells bridge the innate with the adaptive immune system and are a largely untapped opportunity in cancer treatment. LAVA’s bispecific gamma-delta T cell engager platform is harnessing the unique properties of these T cells creating a revolutionary truly tumor-targeted immunotherapy to improve outcomes for cancer patients.

“LAVA’s bispecific antibody approach to targeting and engaging gamma-delta T cells has the potential to transform the treatment of a wide range of cancers,” said Dr. Lüneborg. “We are impressed by the preclinical data generated by LAVA to date, which validate the company’s platform and support their transition into a clinical-stage organization. The team is highly experienced in drug development, and I look forward to working with them.”

“Gamma-delta T cells are an emerging field and an incredibly exciting area in oncology. Bispecific antibodies able to directly engage this type of cells offer the potential to significantly impact patients across the globe in these diseases with high morbidity and mortality,” said Dr. Crespo

About LAVA Therapeutics

LAVA Therapeutics is developing a proprietary bispecific antibody platform that engages gamma-delta T cells for the treatment of hematological and solid cancers. The company’s first-in-class immuno-oncology approach activates Vγ9Vδ2 T cells upon binding to membrane-expressed tumor targets. LAVA was founded in 2016 based on intellectual property originating from the Amsterdam University Medical Center. The company has established a highly experienced antibody research and development team located in Utrecht, the Netherlands (headquarters) and Philadelphia, USA. For more information, please visit www.lavatherapeutics.com.

Contacts

Alicia Davis, THRUST Strategic Communications, alicia@thrustsc.com

Utrecht, The Netherlands & Philadelphia – LAVA Therapeutics B.V., a biotech company pioneering bispecific gamma-delta T cell engagers for cancer, Amsterdam UMC and the Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute in Australia, today announced that Nature Cancer has published their co-authored paper titled, “A single domain bispecific antibody targeting CD1d and the NKT T cell receptor induces a potent antitumor response,” detailing a novel immune-oncology approach for the potential treatment of cancer.

Findings in the paper highlight the potential for a LAVA-derived antibody fragment, known as a single domain antibody, that acts as a bridge to link together two key immune cell receptors – the CD1d receptor and the T cell receptor of natural killer T (NKT) cells – in order to enhance the body’s immune response to cancer. The CD1d receptor is frequently expressed by tumor cells and NKT cells are positioned at the interface between the innate and adaptive immune system and play an important role in the host-rejection of both tumors and virally infected cells. Preclinical research through the companies’ collaboration demonstrates that a CD1d-NKT cell targeting antibody resulted in significant activation of NKT cells and the subsequent killing of CD1d-expressing tumor cells in multiple tumor samples, including multiple myeloma and acute myeloid leukemia.

“These data underscore the potential of LAVA’s bispecific antibody approach to target and activate NKT cells for the treatment of cancer,” said Hans van der Vliet, professor in medical oncology at Amsterdam UMC and chief scientific officer of LAVA Therapeutics. “By targeting and boosting natural immune cells that are inherent in all humans, such as NKT and gamma-delta T cells, for an enhanced therapeutic effect, our approach could translate into a broadly applicable immunotherapeutic strategy for treating a range of cancer indications.”

“Using the Australian Synchrotron, the team at Monash University provided detailed atomic insight into how the single domain antibodies exerted their effect on immune cells in a cancer model. Through this, we were able to precisely visualize how the single domain antibody simultaneously recognized CD1d and the NKT T cell receptor, thereby providing a molecular basis for their anti-tumor properties,” professor Jamie Rossjohn, Australian Research Council Laureate Fellow at Monash University stated. “The collaboration with LAVA Therapeutics on this ground-breaking approach was very effective.”

Instrumental to the study were joint first authors Dr. Roeland Lameris from Amsterdam UMC and Dr. Adam Shahine from Monash University.

About LAVA Therapeutics

LAVA Therapeutics, B.V., is developing a proprietary bispecific antibody platform that engages gamma-delta T cells for the treatment of hematological and solid cancers. The company’s first-in-class immuno-oncology approach activates Vγ9Vδ2 T cells upon binding to membrane-expressed tumor targets. LAVA was founded in 2016 based on intellectual property originating from Hans van der Vliet`s group at the Amsterdam UMC, and is backed by Lupus Ventures, Biox Biosciences, Versant Ventures, Gilde Healthcare and MRL Ventures Fund. The company has established a highly experienced antibody research and development team located in Utrecht, the Netherlands (headquarters) and Philadelphia. For more information, please visit www.lavatherapeutics.com.

About the Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute at Monash University

Committed to making the discoveries that will relieve the future burden of disease, the newly established Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute at Monash University brings together more than 120 internationally-renowned research teams. Spanning six discovery programs across Cancer, Cardiovascular Disease, Development and Stem Cells, Infection and Immunity, Metabolic Disease and Obesity, and Neuroscience, Monash BDI is one of the largest biomedical research institutes in Australia. Our researchers are supported by world-class technology and infrastructure, and partner with industry, clinicians and researchers internationally to enhance lives through discovery.

Contacts

Alicia Davis, THRUST Strategic Communications, alicia@thrustsc.com

Wendy Smith, Monash University Media Team, wendy.smith1@monash.edu, M: +61 425 725 836

Utrecht, The Netherlands and Philadelphia, July 8, 2020 – Lava Therapeutics B.V., a biotech company pioneering bispecific gamma-delta T cell engagers for cancer, today announced the appointment of Benjamin Winograd, M.D., Ph.D., as the company’s Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Winograd is a seasoned drug development expert with significant experience leading oncology and hematology programs within the pharmaceutical industry. In this new role, Dr. Winograd will report to Steve Hurly, chief executive officer, in their U.S. office, and oversee strategic direction of clinical operations, translational medicine and regulatory affairs.

“We are very excited to welcome Benjamin as our CMO, as he brings a wealth of experience leading oncology drug development to the team,” said Mr. Hurly. “Benjamin’s impressive track record of advancing novel programs from early scientific research through clinical development and regulatory approvals will be instrumental as we approach clinical initiation with our most mature bispecific gamma-delta T cell engager program later this year.”

Dr. Winograd brings more than 35 years of experience within the pharmaceutical industry to Lava. He joins the company from Celgene, where he most recently served as the clinical research and development therapeutic area head for multiple myeloma and led landmark studies resulting in the registration of lenalidomide (Revlimid®) and pomalidamide (Pomalyst®/Imnovid®). Prior to that, he was instrumental in the early and late development, registration and launching of cancer therapeutics including paclitaxel (Taxol®), irinotecan (Camptosar®), exemestane (Aromasin®), epirubicin (ELLENCE®) and temozolomide (Temodar®). Dr. Winograd received his M.D. and Ph.D. from the Technical University of Munich, Germany, and began his career as part of the EORTC Cooperative Group at the VU University in Amsterdam.

“Lava’s approach to leveraging bispecific gamma-delta T cell engagers has the potential to treat a broad range of cancer indications, while avoiding unwanted challenges seen with other immunotherapy approaches already in clinical use and in development. I look forward to collaborating with the experienced leadership team and esteemed advisors to advance this exciting science into clinical development and bring new therapeutic options to cancer patients,” said Dr. Winograd.

About Lava Therapeutics

Lava Therapeutics, B.V., is developing a proprietary bispecific antibody platform that engages gamma-delta T cells for the treatment of hematological and solid cancers. The company’s first-in-class immuno-oncology approach activates Vγ9Vδ2 T cells upon binding to membrane-expressed tumor targets. Lava was founded in 2016 based on intellectual property originating from the Amsterdam University Medical Center, and is backed by Lupus Ventures, Biox Biosciences, Versant Ventures, Gilde Healthcare and MRL Ventures Fund. The company has established a highly experienced antibody research and development team located in Utrecht, the Netherlands (headquarters) and Philadelphia. For more information, please visit www.lavatherapeutics.com.

Contact

Alicia Davis, THRUST Strategic Communications, alicia@thrustsc.com

Utrecht, The Netherlands and Philadelphia, May 15, 2020 – Lava Therapeutics B.V.,  today announced that it has entered into a research and license agreement with Janssen Biotech, Inc., one of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, to discover and develop novel bispecific antibodies to gamma-delta T cells for the treatment of cancer. The collaboration was facilitated by Johnson & Johnson Innovation.

“We are excited to enter into this collaboration with Janssen, a global innovator and leader in the development of new medicines,” said Stephen Hurly, chief executive officer of Lava Therapeutics. “We strongly believe in the strength of our bispecific gamma-delta T cell engager platform and are committed to creating highly potent, target-specific therapeutics with increased durability and safety over current T cell-based approaches.”

Under the terms of the agreement, Lava Therapeutics will perform discovery and product development activities, and is eligible to receive an undisclosed financial package consisting of an upfront payment and potential development and commercial milestones, and future tiered royalties.

About Lava Therapeutics

Lava Therapeutics, B.V., is developing a proprietary bispecific antibody platform that engages gamma-delta T cells for the treatment of hematological and solid cancers. The company’s first-in-class immuno-oncology approach activates Vγ9Vδ2 T cells upon binding to membrane-expressed tumor targets. Lava was founded in 2016 based on intellectual property originating from the Amsterdam University Medical Center, and is backed by Lupus Ventures, Biox Biosciences, Versant Ventures, Gilde Healthcare and MRL Ventures Fund. The company has established a highly experienced antibody research and development team located in Utrecht, the Netherlands (headquarters) and Philadelphia. For more information, please visit www.lavatherapeutics.com.

Contact

Alicia Davis, THRUST Strategic Communications, alicia@thrustsc.com

Utrecht, The Netherlands and Philadelphia, Jan. 8, 2020 –Lava Therapeutics (“LAVA”) today announced that James P. Allison, Ph.D., a 2018 Nobel Prize recipient in Physiology or Medicine for his discovery of cancer therapy by inhibition of negative immune regulation, and Padmanee Sharma, M.D., Ph.D., a scientific leader in oncology, specializing in renal, bladder and prostate cancer, have joined the company’s Advisory Board.

“We are thrilled to welcome Jim and Pam, two of the most respected leaders in the field of oncology, to our Advisory Board,” said Steve Hurly, Chief Executive Officer of LAVA. “We believe we are at the forefront of developing gamma-delta T cell engagers, which represents a novel class of potential treatments for a range of cancer indications. As we approach this next phase as a clinical-stage company, Jim and Pam’s collective insights and deep expertise will be invaluable, and we are excited to be collaborating with them.”

Dr. Paul Parren, Executive Vice President and Head of R&D for LAVA added, “Jim’s and Pam’s willingness to join LAVA’s Advisory Board is a transformative event for our young company, as it strongly increases our potential for developing truly transformative cancer drugs based our exciting bispecific gamma-delta T cell engaging technology. We are pleased to have them on board and look forward to leveraging their expertise as we advance our programs.”

Dr. James Allison

Dr. Allison has spent his career studying the regulation of T cell responses. Dr. Allison’s work led to the development of an antibody to human CTLA-4 called ipilimumab which became the first immune checkpoint blockade therapy ever approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The approval of ipilimumab cleared the path for the emerging field of immune checkpoint blockade therapy in the treatment of cancer. His current work is focused on improving immune checkpoint blockade therapies and identifying new targets to unleash the immune system and eradicate cancer. Dr. Allison is a member of the National Academies of Science and Medicine and is currently Regental Professor and Chair of the Department of Immunology, the Vivian L. Smith Distinguished Chair in Immunology, the Executive Director of the Immunotherapy Platform and Co-Director of the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy at MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Dr. Padmanee Sharma

Dr. Sharma is focused on understanding resistance mechanisms within the immune system that impact anti-tumor responses. For more than a decade, she has been a principal investigator for multiple clinical trials to improve the efficacy of cancer immunotherapies. Dr. Sharma’s work on new pathways to treat prostate cancer implicated, for the first time in a human tumor, the checkpoint VISTA in inhibiting immune responses. In partnership with Dr. Allison, Dr. Sharma is currently exploring combinations of immunological therapies and targeted drugs in preclinical studies to treat a variety of cancers more effectively. Dr. Sharma is a professor of Genitourinary Medical Oncology and Immunology in the Division of Cancer Medicine, the T.C. and Jeanette Hsu Endowed Chair in Cell Biology, the Scientific Director of the Immunotherapy Platform and the Co-Director of the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

About Lava Therapeutics, Inc.

Lava Therapeutics’ proprietary platform is focused on developing next generation γδ T cell engaging bispecific antibodies to treat cancer. Our first-in-class immuno-oncology approach specifically activates Vγ9Vδ2 T cells upon binding to a tumor target. LAVA’s vision is to develop therapeutics for the curative treatment of cancer. Founded in 2016, LAVA has grown into a start-up company with a highly experienced antibody research and development team located in Utrecht, the Netherlands (Headquarters) and Philadelphia. www.lavatherapeutics.com.

Contact

Alicia Davis | THRUST Strategic Communications | alicia@thrustsc.com

‘s Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands, 23 May 2018 – Lava Therapeutics (“LAVA”) today announced it has raised EUR 16 million in its first major institutional financing round from an investor syndicate led by Gilde Healthcare and Versant Ventures with additional support from US-based MRL Ventures Fund (MRLV), joining founder investors Lupus Ventures and Biox Biosciences. The funding will support development of LAVA’s proprietary pipeline of bispecific gamma-delta (γδ) T cell engagers for the treatment of cancer. LAVA also announced the appointment of Paul Parren, PhD, as Executive Vice President and Head of Research & Development. Dr. Parren joins the company as an internationally recognized antibody drug innovator and developer.

As part of the financing, LAVA established a Supervisory Board including Stefan Luzi, PhD of Gilde Healthcare, Guido Magni, MD, PhD, of Versant Ventures and Reza Halse, PhD of MRLV. They join Erik van den Berg, who will serve as Chairman of the Board, and biotech entrepreneur Jan van der Hoeven.

“The quality of the investors and the size of this financing underscores the potential of LAVA’s approach and its commitment to establishing itself as a leader in the T cell engager field with our vision centered on creating a new standard for potent and safe cancer treatments,” said Mr. van den Berg. “The arrival of Paul Parren further validates the technology and LAVA’s dedication to developing a differentiated product pipeline.”

“LAVA’s differentiated T-cell engager platform has the potential to target oncology settings of high unmet need. Based on cutting edge Dutch science, LAVA fits very well in Gilde Healthcare’s portfolio which includes first- and best-in-class therapeutics throughout Europe and the US,” said Dr. Luzi from Gilde Healthcare.

“By engaging and re-directing in-vivo gamma delta T cells against tumors, LAVA’s approach represents an innovative and unique platform technology capable of exploiting the immune system, with multiple potential applications in the therapy of solid and liquid cancers. We are enthusiastic about working with LAVA’s team to move this exciting technology forward,” said Dr. Magni from Versant Ventures.

Paul Parren joins Lava Therapeutics with 30 years of experience in antibody science and drug development. For the past 16 years he served as Genmab’s Head of Preclinical Development and Research, translating antibody biology successfully into immunotherapies from discovery to the clinic, including approved therapeutic antibodies ofatumumab and daratumumab, as well as establishing validated antibody platform technologies. Dr. Parren is a Professor of Molecular Immunology at the Leiden University Medical Center in Leiden, the Netherlands, board member of The Antibody Society and was an Associate Professor at The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California. He holds a PhD in Molecular Immunology from the University of Amsterdam.

“The opportunity at LAVA is to develop a novel pipeline of targeted biologic therapeutics to safely channel the immune system’s response towards tumors. I am looking forward to working with the LAVA team to build an organization that brings the exciting γδ T cell engager platform to its fullest potential and rapidly translate it to the clinic,” added Dr. Parren.

To date, the company has demonstrated proof of principle for the platform, building on the scientific discoveries of the research team headed by Dr. Hans van der Vliet, medical oncologist at the Department of Medical Oncology of the VU University Medical Center and Cancer Center Amsterdam and CSO of Lava Therapeutics. LAVA will use the EUR 16 million investment to further develop and validate its bispecific γδ T cell engager platform, broaden its pipeline and to develop a lead candidate for clinical testing.

About γδ T cells
γδ T cells are a potent class of proinflammatory immune effector cells and one of two main categories of T lymphocytes. γδ T cells provide effective tumor immunosurveillance and anti-tumor immune responses against a wide variety of both solid and hematological malignancies. Human γδ T cells are classified based on their receptor Vδ chain, with Vγ9Vδ2 T cells being the predominant population in human peripheral blood. Vγ9Vδ2 T cells are endowed with specific reactivity to small phosphorylated metabolite antigens (termed phosphoantigens) that are expressed by tumor cells at higher levels and respond to signals from tumors leading to tumor-infiltration, interferon-γ secretion and tumor cell killing in addition to acting as antigen-presenting cells, priming the adaptive immune system.

About Lava Therapeutics B.V.
Lava Therapeutics’ proprietary platform is focused on developing next generation γδ T cell engaging bispecific antibodies to treat cancer. Our first-in-class immuno-oncology approach activates Vγ9Vδ2 T cells upon binding to membrane-expressed tumor targets. Lava’s vision is to develop therapeutics for the curative treatment of cancer. Founded in 2016, Lava Therapeutics is advancing cutting-edge research originating from the group of Dr. Hans van der Vliet at the VU University Medical Center and Cancer Center Amsterdam. www.lavatherapeutics.com

About Gilde Healthcare
Gilde Healthcare is a specialized European healthcare investor managing EUR 1 billion across two business lines: a venture & growth capital fund and a lower mid-market buy-out fund. Gilde Healthcare’s venture & growth capital fund invests in therapeutics, medtech and digital health. The portfolio companies are based in Europe and North America. Gilde Healthcare’s lower mid-market buy-out fund invests in profitable European healthcare services companies with a focus on the Benelux and DACH region. The portfolio consists of healthcare providers, suppliers of medical products and other service providers in the healthcare market. The venture & growth fund is currently investing out of Gilde Healthcare IV which is financed, in part, by the European Recovery Program-European Investment Fund Facility. For more information, visit the company’s website at www.gildehealthcare.com.

About Versant Ventures
Versant Ventures is a leading global healthcare investment firm committed to helping exceptional entrepreneurs build the next generation of great healthcare companies. The firm invests across the healthcare sector and at all stages of company development, with an emphasis on the discovery and development of novel therapeutics. With USD 2.3 billion under management and offices in North America and Europe, Versant has built a team with deep investment, operating, and scientific expertise that enables a hands-on approach to company building. Since the firm’s founding in 1999, more than 65 Versant companies have achieved successful acquisitions or IPOs. For more information, please visit: www.versantventures.com

About MRL Ventures Fund
MRL Ventures Fund (MRLV) is the therapeutics-focused early-stage corporate venture fund of MSD. MSD is a trade name of Merck & Co., Inc., with headquarters in Kenilworth, N.J., U.S.A.
From its headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, MRLV invests globally in innovative science and transformational therapeutics. MRLV has a team of experienced life-sciences venture capital professionals committed to supporting great entrepreneurs in their quest to create value through building companies that have a meaningful impact on health and disease. For more information, please visit: www.mrlv.com

Contact:
Lava Therapeutics
Erik Ensing
Phone: +31 8 506 573 44 or +31 6 576 30 942
Email: info@lavatherapeutics.com

Trophic Communications
Gretchen Schweitzer or Joanne Tudorica
Phone: +49 (0) 89 2388 7735 or +49 176 2103 7191
Email: schweitzer@trophic.eu or tudorica@trophic.eu