MiNK Therapeutics has entered into a strategic collaboration with C-Further, a paediatric oncology therapeutics consortium supported by Cancer Research Horizons, LifeArc and Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity, to develop a novel cell therapy targeting paediatric cancers.

The partnership focuses on advancing a PRAME-targeted T cell receptor (TCR)–engineered invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cell therapy. The programme aims to treat cancers expressing PRAME (Preferentially Expressed Antigen in Melanoma), a tumour-associated antigen commonly found in several paediatric and adult malignancies but with limited presence in healthy tissues.

PRAME is known to be highly expressed in cancers such as Acute Myeloid Leukemia, sarcomas and Medulloblastoma, making it a promising therapeutic target, particularly in paediatric cancers where treatment options remain limited and relapse outcomes are often poor.

The programme will combine PRAME-specific targeting with MiNK’s proprietary iNKT cell platform. These immune cells play a unique role in bridging innate and adaptive immunity, allowing them to directly target tumour cells while also activating broader immune responses within the tumour microenvironment.

Unlike conventional cell therapies that require patient-specific manufacturing, MiNK’s iNKT platform is designed as an allogeneic ‘off-the-shelf’ therapy derived from healthy donors. This approach allows the therapy to be manufactured in advance, stored and delivered to patients without the need for HLA matching or intensive lymphodepleting chemotherapy, potentially enabling faster and more accessible treatment for children with aggressive cancers.

As part of the collaboration, MiNK will receive approximately USD 1.1 million in non-dilutive funding to support investigational new drug (IND)-enabling development of the PRAME-TCR-iNKT therapy candidate. The funding will support key preclinical research milestones and candidate selection for future clinical development.

Under the agreement, MiNK will serve as the lead industry partner, contributing its iNKT engineering technology and translational development expertise. Researchers at the University of Southampton, led by Dr Ali Roghanian and Dr Salah Mansour, will conduct independent preclinical studies to evaluate anti-tumour activity, persistence and safety of the therapy across multiple paediatric cancer models.

The collaboration will also evaluate tumour samples derived from patients to help identify the most promising therapy candidate for advancement into early-stage clinical trials in children.

The partnership represents one of the first research programmes selected by C-Further since its launch and reflects a broader effort to accelerate the development of innovative therapies for paediatric cancers with significant unmet medical needs.

Through the collaboration, MiNK Therapeutics aims to expand the application of its iNKT platform across validated tumour targets while supporting the development of safer and more accessible immunotherapies for children with cancer.