Tessa Therapeutics, a clinical-stage immunotherapy company focused on autologous and off-the-shelf, allogeneic therapies targeting solid tumours, has collaborated with United States-based Merck (known as MSD outside the US and Canada), through a subsidiary.

It was reported yesterday that the contract has been signed to assess Tessa Therapeutics' armoured human papillomavirus-specific T cell (HPVST) therapy, or TT12, in combination with KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab), Merck's anti-PD-1 (programmed death receptor-1) therapy, in patients with recurrent or metastatic HPV 16 and 18-positive cervical cancer.

According to the contract, Tessa Therapeutics will conduct a multi-centre Phase 1b/2 trial to assess the safety and efficacy of the combination. The trial is planned for commencement in the United States, Singapore and South Korea. The company's product is an autologous cell therapy product composed of HPVSTs that have been trained to target HPV 16/18 antigens and genetically modified with a decoy TGF-beta receptor to overcome the suppressive tumour microenvironment.