Roche's Genentech division has formed a strategic partnership with Repertoire Immune Medicines to discover and develop novel T cell-targeting therapies for an undisclosed autoimmune disorder. The deal, announced Wednesday, includes $35 million in upfront payment to Repertoire with potential milestone payments reaching an additional $730 million, plus tiered royalties on any resulting products.
The Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Repertoire will contribute its proprietary DECODE platform technology, which the company describes as capable of uniquely mapping the immune synapse—the critical junction that forms between T cells and antigen-presenting cells during immune responses.
"The enormous breadth of DECODE's therapeutic target discovery potential is well beyond what we could realize on our own," said Torben Straight Nissen, Repertoire's CEO and chairman, who also serves as an executive partner at Flagship Pioneering.
Collaboration Structure and Strategic Significance
Under the terms of the agreement, Repertoire will lead early discovery efforts while Genentech will take responsibility for subsequent development and potential commercialization of any resulting therapies. The collaboration targets T cell mechanisms involved in autoimmune pathology, though specific disease indications remain undisclosed.
Boris Zaïtra, Roche's head of corporate business development, expressed enthusiasm about the partnership: "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."
This deal represents part of Roche's broader strategic push into immunology. In recent years, the pharmaceutical giant has acquired gut disease developer Telavant and cell therapy company Poseida Therapeutics, while also advancing bispecific T cell engagers like Lunsumio into autoimmune indications such as lupus.
Repertoire's Evolution and Business Strategy
The Genentech partnership marks a significant milestone in Repertoire's business trajectory following a strategic reset. Originally launched in 2020 through the merger of two Flagship Pioneering companies—Cogen Immune Medicines and Torque Therapeutics—Repertoire initially focused on personalized cell therapies.
However, the company pivoted its approach after stopping two Phase I trials for T cell therapies in HPV-positive tumors due to limited efficacy. This strategic redirection has since yielded substantial pharmaceutical partnerships, including a deal with Bristol Myers Squibb announced last year worth $65 million upfront and up to $1.8 billion in potential milestone payments for developing three vaccines targeting autoimmune diseases.
According to Nissen, these collaborations have become a "core" piece of Repertoire's strategy, particularly valuable in navigating the challenging funding environment for biotech startups. The partnerships "create a path forward that was independent of, and less reliant on, raising capital through equity," he noted, adding that this approach "harkens back to how biotech used to be in the old days" when startups could use pharmaceutical deals to "move up the value chain."
Scientific Platform and Pipeline
Repertoire's current pipeline includes nine bispecific antibodies and vaccines, all in preclinical testing. The company's DECODE platform identifies components of the immune synapse to uncover potential drug targets for both cancer and autoimmune conditions.
The technology's ability to precisely map T cell interactions positions Repertoire at the intersection of precision immunology and drug discovery—an area of increasing interest as the field moves toward more targeted approaches to immune modulation.
For Genentech, the collaboration provides access to novel target discovery capabilities that complement its existing immunology portfolio and expertise in biologic drug development. The partnership reflects the growing industry recognition that complex autoimmune disorders require sophisticated approaches to identify and modulate specific immune pathways.
