Repertoire Partners with Genentech for Development of T Cell-Targeted Immune Medicines

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Biotechnology company Repertoire Immune Medicines announced on April 23, 2025 that it has entered into a collaboration and license agreement with Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, for the discovery and development of innovative, T cell-targeted therapies to treat an autoimmune disease (1).

Repertoire’s DECODE platform will be deployed to discover novel therapeutic targets across a large antigenic space, according to a press release (1). Meanwhile, Genentech will be responsible for preclinical and clinical development and, eventually, global commercialization of innovative therapies incorporating the target discovery work.

“Repertoire’s DECODE platform uniquely maps the entire immune synapse in patients and thereby enables development of transformative T cell-targeted medicines for autoimmune diseases and cancer,” said Torben Straight Nissen, chairman and CEO of Repertoire and executive partner at Flagship Pioneering, in the release (1). “The enormous breadth of DECODE’s therapeutic target discovery potential is well beyond what we could realize on our own. Given Genentech’s commitment and experience as the global market leader in developing treatments for autoimmune diseases, we are delighted to partner with them to bring medicines to patients that reset the immune system and have the potential to provide significant therapeutic benefits.”

“Roche and Genentech have been investing in breakthrough therapies for autoimmune disorders for more than 20 years, and we are proud of the advances in treatment we have pioneered,” said Boris L. Zaïtra, head of Roche Corporate Business Development, also in the press release (1). “As we seek new opportunities to bring an even greater impact to patients, we look forward to translating the new discoveries DECODE and the team at Repertoire will reveal to develop novel medicines for patients suffering from autoimmune diseases.”

In the April issue of BioPharm International®, Emelia DeForce, PhD, senior program manager, Sustainable Science and Product Stewardship at Genentech, was one of the speakers in an interview centered around single-use technologies and systems, and the importance of how and where these systems contribute to sustainability efforts (2).

“Genentech together with Roche have made significant progress toward reducing its overall environmental footprint,” DeForce said (2). “The Clinical Supply Center—and our next new manufacturing facility in Oceanside [California]—are important examples of how we are advancing toward our corporate sustainability goals to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by 40%, water use by 20%, total landfill waste by 20% and plastic waste by 20% at our South San Francisco and Oceanside campuses by 2025. We are on a path to achieve true zero emissions by 2045.”

On a larger scale, Roche is expanding its operations in the United States, having just announced on April 22, 2025 a new $50 billion investment for pharmaceutical manufacturing and diagnostics that is expected to create more than 12,000 jobs, including approximately 6500 in construction and 1000 jobs at new and expanded facilities, in eight states (3).

The license agreement between Repertoire and Genentech entitles Repertoire to be eligible for a $35 million upfront payment, and up to $730 million in additional development, regulatory, and commercial milestones, along with tiered royalties (1).

References

1. Repertoire Immune Medicines. Repertoire Immune Medicines Enters into Collaboration and License Agreement with Genentech for the Development of T cell-Targeted Therapies for an Autoimmune Disease. Press Release. April 23, 2025.
2. Mirasol, F. Single Use and Sustainability in Upstream Processing. BioPharm International 2025, 38 (3) 11–13.
3. Roche. Roche to Invest USD 50 Billion in Pharmaceuticals and Diagnostics in the United States over the Next Five Years. Press Release. April 22, 2025.