Immunomodulation therapies company Themis revealed on Wednesday the launch of a license agreement for its oncolytic measles vaccine strain with the Max Planck Society in Germany.

Under an agreement, Themis has provided the exclusive worldwide license to develop, manufacture and commercialise therapies based on an oncolytic measles virus platform, which was jointly developed by the Eberhard-Karls-University Tübingen and the Max Planck Institute for Biochemistry, to Max-Planck-Innovation GmbH, the technology transfer agency of the Max Planck Society.

Themis' licensed technology is a modified measles virus based on the viral genome sequence of the established measles vaccine strain, which has been used to immunise billions of people worldwide. The measles virus itself has innate anti-cancer properties, mediating tumour cell lysis, T cell activation and specific tumour cell targeting.It can be engineered to include a tumour killing payload, making it a major building block for an effective oncolytic virus immunotherapy.

According to Themis, it has established a robust cGMP manufacturing process for its measles vector technology and built a broad pipeline with both proprietary and partnered infectious disease vaccine candidates. The lead programme in Chikungunya is anticipated to enter Phase 3 development in the near- to medium-term. It will expand its innovative technology platform to include novel oncolytic virus-based immunotherapy applications.

Founded in 1805, the University Hospital Tuebingen is one of the leading centres of German university medicine. As one of 33 University Hospitals in Germany, it contributes to a successful combination of top-level medicine, research and teaching.

The financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed by the companies.