Massachusetts-based Marengo Therapeutics has nominated its first development candidate under its TriSTAR collaboration with Ipsen (Euronext: IPN), triggering milestone payments and transferring responsibility for all subsequent development to Ipsen. The nomination is the first from Marengo's trispecific T-cell engager platform to advance under the June 2024 agreement.
The TriSTAR platform generates trispecific molecules combining selective Vβ-directed T-cell activation, built-in costimulation, and tumor-antigen targeting in a single molecule. Marengo says the architecture is designed to generate and redirect a pool of highly active memory T cells against tumors while limiting the broad T-cell activation associated with conventional CD3-directed engagers. The specific tumor antigen targeted by the nominated candidate was not disclosed; Marengo previously disclosed Nectin-4 as the lead TriSTAR target in October 2025, though it is not confirmed whether that program is the candidate now nominated.
Under the 2024 agreement, Marengo leads research and preclinical work through to development candidate nomination, at which point Ipsen assumes full responsibility for IND-enabling studies, clinical development, and commercialization globally. Marengo is eligible for milestone payments at nomination and at subsequent development gates, with total potential deal value of up to USD 1.2 billion across up to two TriSTAR programs, plus tiered sales royalties. The upfront payment made at deal signing was not publicly disclosed.