Regen BioPharma sees recent deal activity in the immune oncology space as an indication that big pharma continues to place significant bets on the ability of biotech companies to create the innovation they seek.

On August 3, 2017 Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) announced that it had entered into an agreement to acquire IFM Therapeutics, a smaller biotech company focused on developing therapies that modulate novel targets in the innate immune system to treat cancer, autoimmunity and inflammatory disorders. Pursuant to the agreement, IFM Therapeutics is to receive $300 million upfront with the potential of up to an additional $2.02 billion in milestone payments.

IFM has developed pre-clinical small molecule activators and inhibitors that modulate the immune system. Their small molecules are designed to be used as anti-cancer drugs and against autoimmune disorders.

"While the targets of IFM's small molecules are entirely different from those of Regen's NR2F6 program, the disease programs and the small molecule approach are similar," said Harry Lander, Ph.D., President and Chief Scientific Officer of Regen BioPharma. "It is evident that the need for novel small molecules to attack these diseases is great and that novel targets, like NR2F6, are very important."