Driving intelligent immunotherapy discovery with tailored expertise

InterK Peptide Therapeutics, an Australian early-stage virtual biotechnology company, develops small synthetic anticancer peptides to address key challenges in oncology:

• Cancer evasion from the immune system
• Autoimmune reactions to novel immunotherapies
• Increased cancer incidence with age, driven in part by immune system dysfunction
• Growing global skin cancer incidence, despite increased use of UV-blocking sunscreens

InterK’s early research suggested that two peptide leads could address these challenges. However, evaluating novel compounds’ immunomodulatory activity is complex, requiring extensive expertise, customized assay development, and rigorous data analysis. As a virtual biotech, InterK sought a partner with deep immunology expertise to rapidly generate meaningful data.

Collaborative Partnership – Close engagement with InterK, ensuring study designs aligned with their evolving research needs.

Innovative Assay Development – Tailored approaches to immunoassays, enabling in-depth characterization of peptide effects.

Agile Adaptation – Adjusted methodologies in real-time based on emerging data to maximize study relevance.

Data-Driven Decision Making – Provided high-quality data with expert interpretation, facilitating strategic next steps, enhancing the market positioning with investors. 

Comprehensive Immunoassay Expertise

Over a six-year collaboration, we conducted more than 70 studies with InterK, utilizing a diverse range of human and murine immune cell and tumor assays to evaluate their peptides’ effects on immune responses. Our approach included:

• Assay Customization: Developed a novel T cell exhaustion assay to assess the peptides' impact on immune system evasion
• Diverse Model Systems: Used human donor immune cells of different ages to explore potential protection against age-related immune dysfunction
• Flexible Study Design: Adapted assays dynamically to refine research questions and enhance result interpretation

Rapid Data Generation & Interpretation

Our expertise streamlined data acquisition and interpretation, providing:

• Detailed analysis and actionable insights to guide further studies
• Rapid turnaround times from proposal to results, ensuring timely decision-making
• Close collaboration to proactively address scientific challenges.

Our tailored approach delivered significant benefits to InterK:

• Proof-of-Concept Established: Demonstrated the immunomodulatory potential of the two lead peptides
• Scientific Recognition: Findings published in a peer-reviewed journal, with additional manuscripts under review
• Financial & Strategic Gains: Increased interest in InterK, leading to partnerships and estimated cost savings of $1.75 million
• Stronger Market Positioning: Enhanced credibility with investors and biopharma companies, paving the way for further development opportunities

By providing cutting-edge immunology expertise, we empowered InterK to accelerate its research, strengthen its intellectual property, and attract critical funding and collaborations. Our role as a Collaborative Contract Research Organization (CCRO) ensured InterK received not just data, but strategic insights to advance its immunotherapy program with confidence.