On December 4, 2025 ImmunoGenesis, a clinical-stage biotech company developing innovative, science-driven immunotherapies, reported that the company has been awarded a $10.8 million grant from the Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) to support the continued clinical investigation of IMGS-001 in patients with solid tumors. IMGS-001, the company’s lead program, is a cytotoxic immune checkpoint inhibitor targeting PD-L1 and PD-L2 and is being studied in a phase 1a/b dose-escalation and dose-expansion trial (NCT06014502). The focus of this grant, the company’s second from CPRIT, will be to support the phase 1b dose-expansion portion of the trial across multiple solid tumor cohorts.
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The phase 1b expansion focuses on demonstrating safety and initial clinical benefit in multiple solid tumor cohorts characterized by a high degree of immune exclusion where CD8 T cells—the immune system’s soldiers—are present but locked out of the tumor. IMGS-001 has been specifically engineered to drive clinical benefit in this patient population through its multifunctional mechanism of cell killing and PD-1 signal blockade.
"CPRIT has played a pivotal role in enabling ImmunoGenesis’ growth. The first award of $15.5 million in 2020 allowed us to establish our Texas headquarters, complete essential nonclinical studies, obtain IND clearance, and begin the phase 1a trial of IMGS-001," said James Barlow, CEO of ImmunoGenesis. "With this second award, we can build on the early signs of clinical activity and accelerate evaluation of IMGS-001 for immune-excluded tumor cohorts with high unmet need."
The award underscores CPRIT’s mission to support novel research. IMGS-001 is based on discoveries made by the laboratory of Dr. Michael A. Curran at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and the Oncology Research for Biologics & Immunotherapy Translation (ORBIT) platform, part of MD Anderson’s Therapeutics Discovery division. Dr. Curran founded ImmunoGenesis and the technology was licensed to the company in 2019.
"ImmunoGenesis was previously awarded a CPRIT grant in 2020 to fund early development of IMGS-001," said CPRIT CEO Kristen Doyle. "The company successfully hit the goals and objectives of the original grant. Given this initial grant and the CPRIT funding provided to Dr. Curran in the early development work, CPRIT’s expert review panel that recommended funding saw this as an exciting opportunity for CPRIT to continue to support a novel molecule that has shown initial promise in early clinical testing."
ImmunoGenesis is headquartered in Houston, and the CPRIT award will enable the company to continue strengthening its leadership team and corporate infrastructure within the biotech community. Mr. Barlow added, "We are thrilled to contribute to, and grow within, the dynamic biotech ecosystem in Houston and across Texas."
(Press release, ImmunoGenesis, DEC 4, 2025, View Source;research-institute-of-texas-cprit-to-accelerate-the-clinical-development-of-imgs-001-for-patients-with-immune-excluded-tumors-with-high-unmet-need-302632467.html [SID1234661135])