Immunitas Therapeutics Inc.. (4/7/21). "Press Release: Lonza and Immunitas Therapeutics Announce Manufacturing Agreement to Rapidly Advance Lead Program to the Clinic". Basel.

	Organisation	Immunitas Therapeutics Inc.
	Organisation 2	Lonza Group AG (SWX: LONN)
	Today	Lonza (Group)
	Group	Lonza (Group)
	Product	Ibex™ Solutions (biopharmaceutical contract development + manufacturing)
	Product 2	IMT-009 (CD161 antibody, Immunitas)
	Person	Lapid, Henit (Lonza 202104 Head Mammalian Commercial Development + Marketing)
	Person 2	Wagner, Amanda (Immunitas Therapeutics 202108– promoted to CBO joined 201910 as VP of Strategy before Q32 Bio + Concert)

Lonza will provide a customized version of the Ibex® Design program to rapidly advance Immunitas' lead program, IMT-009, from Development Candidate to IND

Quote from Henit Lapid, Head Mammalian Commercial Development and Marketing, Lonza:

"Immunitas' extensive knowledge in human immunology is a great match for the unique speed and flexibility of our Ibex® Design, which supports our customer's needs for manufacturing agility. Lonza's advanced gene to IND platform achieves speed without compromising quality and offers an optimal program profile for a seamless transition from gene to IND and beyond."

Quote from Amanda Wagner, Vice President of Strategy, Immunitas Therapeutics:

"We are diligently progressing IMT-009, our first-in-class lead program targeting CD161, into the clinic, and this innovative collaboration with Lonza allows us to utilize the validated components of the Ibex® Design program to accelerate our IND.We believe Lonza will be a great collaborator as we work to rapidly advance our pipeline."

Basel, Switzerland, 07 April 2021 – Lonza and Immunitas Therapeutics today announced an agreement to advance the manufacturing process for the company's lead drug candidate, IMT-009, using a customized, accelerated version of Lonza's Ibex® Design program. Under the terms of the agreement, Lonza's Ibex® Design end-to-end offering will cover the development stages of IMT-009 from Development Candidate through early clinical studies.

Immunitas uses a single cell sequencing platform to identify novel oncology targets. The company is currently advancing a number of programs toward early human studies, including IMT-009, which targets CD161, a therapeutic T and NK cell target recently highlighted in the journal Cell. IMT-009 is a monoclonal antibody that disinhibits T cells and NK cells in the tumor microenvironment and is being advanced for use in both solid tumors and hematological malignancies.

As part of the customized agreement with Immunitas, Lonza has tailored The Ibex® Design Program to provide rapid access to material for GLP toxicology and cGMP manufacturing for Phase 1 clinical study start. Lonza will carry out complete CMC development, drug substance and drug product manufacturing, enabling a rapid timeline from candidate selection to phase 1 study start. The expression of IMT-009 will be performed using a robust cell line constructed with the GS Xceed® Expression System and will utilize well-optimized process development and logistics workflows. Lonza's Applied Protein Services platform will support the manufacturing.

About Lonza

Lonza is the preferred global partner to the pharmaceutical, biotech and nutrition markets. We work to prevent illness and enable a healthier world by supporting our customers to deliver new and innovative medicines that help treat a wide range of diseases. We achieve this by combining technological insight with world-class manufacturing, scientific expertise and process excellence. These enable our customers to commercialize their discoveries and innovations in the healthcare sector.

Founded in 1897 in the Swiss Alps, today Lonza operates across three continents. With approximately 14,000 full-time employees, we are built from high-performing teams and of individual talent who make a meaningful difference to our own business, as well as to the communities in which we operate. The company generated sales of CHF 4.5 billion in 2020 with a CORE EBITDA of CHF 1.4 billion. Find out more at www.lonza.com.

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About Immunitas Therapeutics

Immunitas is an immuno-oncology therapeutics company advancing multiple programs to the clinic. Immunitas' programs are derived from a cross-functional, highly integrated, single cell genomics platform that enables rapid target identification and validation in parallel with antibody discovery and engineering. IMT-009, a first-in-class T & NK cell modulator targeting CD161, is being developed for the treatment of solid tumors and hematological malignancies. The company was founded by the Longwood Fund with leading scientists from Dana Farber, MGH, the Broad, and MIT. In 2019, Immunitas raised a $39M Series A from a strong syndicate of investors also including Hillhouse, NVF, Leaps by Bayer, and M Ventures.

Lonza Contact Details

Victoria Morgan
Head of External Communications
Lonza Group Ltd
Tel +41 61 316 2283
victoria.morgan@lonza.com

Dr. Martina Ribar Hestericová
Trade Media Lead
Lonza Group Ltd
Tel +41 61 316 8982
martina.ribarhestericova@lonza.com

Dirk Oehlers
Investor Relations
Lonza Group Ltd
Tel +41 61 316 8540
dirk.oehlers@lonza.com

Immunitas Therapeutics Contact Details

Rob Kloppenburg
Media Contact
Immunitas Therapeutics
Tel +1 617 930 5595
rkloppenburg@immunitastx.com

Additional Information and Disclaimer

Lonza Group Ltd has its headquarters in Basel, Switzerland, and is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange. It has a secondary listing on the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited ("SGX-ST"). Lonza Group Ltd is not subject to the SGX-ST's continuing listing requirements but remains subject to Rules 217 and 751 of the SGX-ST Listing Manual.

Certain matters discussed in this news release may constitute forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations and estimates of Lonza Group Ltd, although Lonza Group Ltd can give no assurance that these expectations and estimates will be achieved. Investors are cautioned that all forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainty and are qualified in their entirety. The actual results may differ materially in the future from the forward-looking statements included in this news release due to various factors. Furthermore, except as otherwise required by law, Lonza Group Ltd disclaims any intention or obligation to update the statements contained in this news release.

Record changed: 2023-06-05