Medigene AG announced the expansion of the IP license for its PD1-41BB and CD40L-CD28 costimulatory switch proteins, enabling their application to additional cell types and for use in Chimeric Antigen Receptor T cell (CAR-T) therapies (patent number WO2017/162797A1). Medigene's PD1-41BB andCD40L-CD28 costIMulatory switch protein technologies were developed by its partner Helmholtz Munich and are exclusively licensed to Medigene. With the expansion of the IP license to include various cell types beyond T cell receptor engineered T cells (TCR-T), Medigene significantly enhances the potential use of both costimulatory switch proteins, which are currently combined with the Company's specific, sensitive and safe T cell receptors (TCRs), across various cell types beyond T cells.

This provides an opportunity to leverage the advantages of other immune cells and enhance the tumor cell killing activity, proliferation and persistence of its TCR-based therapies. In addition, this IP license expansion enables Medigene to potentially enhance the efficacy of CAR-T therapies in patients who relapse and do not respond adequately to earlier lines of therapy due to the upregulation of PD-L1 in certain cancers.