PARIS AND MARSEILLE, FRANCE, 22 October 2025 – Ipsen (Euronext: IPN; ADR: IPSEY) and ImCheck Therapeutics today announced they have entered into a definitive share purchase agreement in which Ipsen will acquire all issued and outstanding shares of ImCheck Therapeutics, a private French biotechnology company pioneering next-generation immuno-oncology therapies. The anticipated acquisition is focused on the lead Phase I/II program ICT01 in first line acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients who are ineligible for intensive chemotherapy. ICT01 is a first-in-class monoclonal antibody targeting BTN3A, a key immune-regulatory molecule broadly expressed across cancer, and received Orphan Drug Designations from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and European Medicines Agency in July 2025.
Many AML patients are unable to tolerate intensive chemotherapy and must rely on lower-intensity options, which often deliver limited and short-lived benefit. This high-risk, unfit population continues to face a significant unmet medical need, highlighting the urgency for new therapies that can improve survival and quality of life.
Interim data (n=45) orally presented at the annual American Society of Clinical Oncology 2025 from the Phase I/II EVICTION trial showed treatment with ICT01 in combination with venetoclax and azacitidine (Ven-Aza) achieved very encouraging high responses. In this single-arm trial, treatment response nearly doubled relative to those seen in historical standard of care data across all molecular subtypes in newly diagnosed patients including sub-types typically less responsive to standard of care (Ven-Aza). ICT01 in combination with Ven-Aza was also shown to be well tolerated, underscoring ICT01’s potential as a novel immunotherapy to improve outcomes for patients with AML.
The Therapy Acceleration Program (TAP) is Blood Cancer United’s mission-driven, strategic venture philanthropy initiative that seeks to accelerate the development of innovative blood cancer therapies and change the standard of care, while also generating a return on investment to further its mission. In June 2022, TAP made an equity investment in ImCheck Therapeutics to support clinical development of the ICT01 program for blood cancer indications. Visit our ImCheck page to learn more.