HiFiBiO Therapeutics, a world leader in the discovery of therapeutic antibodies through single-cell screening and analysis, has announced the formation of Victa Biotherapeutics, a joint venture (JV) with Vikas P. Sukhatme, MD, Robert W. Woodruff Professor of Medicine and Dean of Emory University School of Medicine.

The new open-innovation collaboration will look to expand on the immuno-oncology research pioneered by Dr. Sukhatme during his time at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Centre (BIDMC) and ultimately help accelerate the development of breakthrough standalone or complementary therapies for various cancers. Specific financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

The new joint venture aims to validate surface molecules on myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) that were previously discovered by Dr. Sukhatme and his team at BIDMC. The Cambridge-Paris-Shanghai based company HiFiBiO will use its biological expertise, unprecedented drug discovery engine, in-depth knowledge of pharmacology, and single-cell-based translational research capabilities to identify a repertoire of first-in-class antibody drugs for various forms of cancer.

Victa Biotherapeutics has secured the option to exclusively license the intellectual property from BIDMC related to the target(s) of interest demonstrating significant clinical implications.