New Immuno-Oncology Research Team in Partnership with Ono Pharmaceutical Starts at BioMed X Institute

• The new research team led by Dr. Stefanie Bärthel will work on developing next-generation immunotherapies by leveraging the antitumor effects of neutrophils.

Heidelberg, September 17, 2024. BioMed X, a German biomedical research institute, announced the start of a new research team at the BioMed X Institute in Heidelberg, Germany, the institute’s first joint research project with the Japanese company Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. The scope of this project is to investigate the antitumor effects of neutrophils to develop novel next-generation immunotherapies.

The presence of neutrophils in solid tumors has been well-documented, albeit their role in the tumor microenvironment seems paradoxical according to the current data. “We know far more about T cells in the context of immunotherapy than we know about neutrophils, but distinct immune cell types, including neutrophils, seem to have a potential to exert antitumor effect, while their biology remains unclear. By understanding neutrophil biology in depth, we aim to develop a wider range of effective therapies for cancer patients” explains Dr. Stefanie Bärthel, the group leader of the new research team in partnership with Ono Pharmaceutical. Dr. Bärthel, a Klaus Tschira Boost Fund Fellow in 2023, was a senior scientist at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) in Heidelberg and the Center for Translational Cancer Research (TranslaTUM) in Munich before joining BioMed X as a group leader.

“We are delighted to form a team of outstanding scientists with unique ideas on neutrophil-based immunotherapy through our innovative partnership with BioMed X. We believe that the research undertaken by this team will pave the way for the development of groundbreaking treatments,” said Dr. Seishi Katsumata, Corporate Officer/Executive Director, Discovery & Research at Ono Pharmaceutical. “This is our first research team in collaboration with a Japanese company. We are honored by the trust placed in us by Ono Pharmaceutical and look forward to extending our network of collaborators in Japan,” added Dr. Christian Tidona, Founder and Managing Director of the BioMed X Institute.

The new research team will join nine other research groups at the BioMed X Institute in Heidelberg, Germany, and two research groups overseas, one at the BioMed X Institute in New Haven, CT, and one at XSeed Labs, a new type of innovation accelerator on the campus of the pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim in Ridgefield, CT. To read more about research and innovation at BioMed X, visit their website.

About Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.

Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., headquartered in Osaka, Japan, is an R&D-oriented pharmaceutical company committed to creating innovative medicines in specific areas. ONO focuses its research on oncology, immunology, neurology and specialty research with high medical needs as priority areas for discovery and development of innovative medicines. For further information, please visit the company’s website at www.ono-pharma.com/en.