MiNK Therapeutics PRAME Collaboration with C-Further Targets Pediatric Cancers with TCR-Engineered iNKT Cell Therapy

New York-based MiNK Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: INKT) and C-Further, a London-headquartered international pediatric oncology consortium enabled by Cancer Research Horizons, LifeArc, and Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity, have entered a strategic collaboration to develop CF-033, a PRAME-targeted TCR-engineered invariant natural killer T cell therapy for pediatric cancers including sarcomas, acute myeloid leukemia, and medulloblastoma. MiNK will serve as lead industry partner, contributing its proprietary allogeneic iNKT cell platform and translational development capabilities. The agreement is non-exclusive, preserving MiNK's ability to deploy its platform across other indications and partnerships.

Under the deal, MiNK will receive approximately USD 1.1 million in non-dilutive, milestone-based payments to support IND-enabling development of CF-033, with payments tied to preclinical candidate nomination and translational milestones. The agreement also includes a double-digit share of downstream commercial revenues for MiNK, though the exact percentage was not disclosed. No equity component is involved. Territorial rights and geographic commercialization splits were not publicized. Investigators at the University of Southampton, led by Dr. Ali Roghanian and Dr. Salah Mansour, will conduct independent comparative preclinical studies across multiple pediatric cancer models, including patient-derived tumor systems, with the goal of nominating a single lead clinical candidate for advancement toward first-in-human studies in children.

Deal Context

CF-033 is an allogeneic, off-the-shelf cell therapy in which donor-derived iNKT cells are engineered to express a T cell receptor specific for PRAME (Preferentially Expressed Antigen in Melanoma), a tumor-associated antigen overexpressed in multiple pediatric and adult malignancies with limited expression in healthy tissues. The PRAME-targeted TCR therapy approach combines the antigen specificity of engineered TCRs with the innate immune functions of iNKT cells, which bridge innate and adaptive immunity. Preclinical data suggest that TCR-engineered iNKT cells can induce anti-tumor responses through dual targeting of cancer cells and immunosuppressive myeloid cells in the tumor microenvironment. A separate preclinical characterization has described the PRAME-TCR iNKT approach as a potential off-the-shelf solid tumor therapy. CF-033 is currently in preclinical/IND-enabling development, with no active or planned clinical trials disclosed.

The MiNK Therapeutics collaboration with C-Further is the first disclosed deal between the two parties. C-Further was launched in September 2024 with backing from Cancer Research Horizons, LifeArc, and GOSH Charity, which collectively committed GBP 37 million (approximately USD 50 million) to the consortium's portfolio. CF-033 is among the first programs selected by C-Further since its formation. MiNK's prior partnership activity includes an October 2024 research collaboration with Autonomous Therapeutics to combine encrypted RNA technology with MiNK's iNKT cell therapies, and a collaboration with ImmunoScape for discovery and development of next-generation TCR therapies against solid tumor targets.

PRAME has attracted licensing activity from larger companies. Immatics entered a multi-target TCR therapy collaboration with Bristol Myers Squibb originally in 2019, expanded in September 2022, valued at up to approximately USD 2 billion across multiple targets including PRAME. That deal included IMA203, a PRAME-directed TCR-T cell therapy, and IMA401, a PRAME-targeting bispecific TCR molecule. In the broader TCR therapy space, Adaptimmune and Genentech (Roche) signed a collaboration in January 2023 valued at USD 150 million upfront and up to approximately USD 3.2 billion in total for next-generation allogeneic TCR-T cell therapy programs. Allogeneic cell therapy platforms more broadly have commanded large deal values, including Fate Therapeutics' January 2020 deal with Janssen (USD 50 million upfront, up to USD 3.1 billion total) and Century Therapeutics' September 2021 agreement with BMS (USD 150 million upfront, up to USD 3.2 billion total), both for iPSC-derived off-the-shelf cell therapies.

Other molecules targeting PRAME in active clinical or preclinical development include:

• IMC-F106C (Immunocore) — bispecific TCR (ImmTAC) targeting PRAME, Phase I/II
• IMA203 (Immatics/BMS) — TCR-T cell therapy targeting PRAME, clinical stage
• IMA401 (Immatics/BMS) — bispecific TCR (TCER) targeting PRAME, clinical stage
• PRAME TCR-T (Medigene/Roivant Sciences) — TCR-engineered T cell therapy, preclinical

The iNKT cell therapy pediatric cancer space remains nascent, with MiNK among a limited number of companies advancing allogeneic iNKT platforms. The USD 1.1 million non-dilutive funding structure and consortium-led model reflect the capital-constrained nature of pediatric oncology drug development, where commercial incentives are typically smaller than in adult indications and regulatory pathways may include Rare Pediatric Disease Priority Review Voucher eligibility.

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