Prellis Biologics Announces Collaboration and License Agreement with Bristol Myers Squibb

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Prellis Biologics, Inc. (Prellis), a Bay Area biotechnology company, announced today that it has entered into a multi-target drug discovery collaboration and licensing agreement with Bristol-Myers Squibb utilizing Prellis Biologics’ first-in-class externalized human immune system (EXIS™) based on human lymph node organoids (LNO™). The collaboration leverages Prellis’ EXIS platform that can break tolerance mechanisms in vitro to create high affinity human antibodies targeting human proteins.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220113005314/en/

Microscopy image of a Lymph Node Organoid (LNO™), used to recapture human immune responses in vitro. (Graphic: Business Wire)

Under the terms of the agreement, Prellis and Bristol Myers Squibb will collaborate on the generation of human antibody libraries for select targets. Prellis will receive from Bristol Myers Squibb an undisclosed up-front payment, funding for research activities, development, sales milestones and royalties for licensed antibodies.

“With industry leading speed, the EXIS platform provides high affinity antibodies, derived from lymph node organoids printed with Prellis’ foundational technology, using human PBMCs,” said Melanie P. Matheu, PhD, Founder and CEO of Prellis Biologics. “We are looking forward to working with Bristol Myers Squibb to demonstrate advantages of in vitro human antibody discovery with the EXIS platform.”

Kevin Chapman, PhD, CSO of Prellis, added, “The EXIS platform effectively breaks tolerance enabling direct discovery of human antibodies to challenging human antigens in less than two weeks.”

About Prellis

Prellis Biologics, Inc. is the first company to develop a fully synthetic, animal-free, functional human immune system, EXIS™ (Externalized Immune System). The EXIS platform allows Prellis to harness fully human immune responses for the development of antibody therapeutics, disease models, and target discovery. With industry-leading speed and resolution, Prellis’ proprietary holographic printing technology is able to accurately match and rapidly replicate human organ and tissue structures. Prellis is dedicated to improving patient lives by discovering novel therapeutics, utilizing its unique capabilities in antibody discovery and in vitro human disease models. Prellis Biologics, Inc. was founded in 2016 and is a privately held company based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Learn more at prellisbio.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220113005314/en/