science

Immunocore

Immunocore is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Immunocore rather than just read about it. In short: Immunocore is a global commercial-stage biotechnology company, based in Oxfordshire, which researches and develops biological drugs using soluble T-cell receptor technology. History Immunocore was founded in 2008 as a spinout of MediGene AG, which acquired Avidex in 2006.

Key takeaways

Immunocore belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Immunocore to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Immunocore from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Immunocore is a global commercial-stage biotechnology company, based in Oxfordshire, which researches and develops biological drugs using soluble T-cell receptor technology.

History Immunocore was founded in 2008 as a spinout of MediGene AG, which acquired Avidex in 2006. The core technology was spun out of Oxford University in 1999 by Bent Jakobsen into Avidex Ltd. In July 2015, Immunocore announced the completion of an initial $320 million private financing round, Europe's largest ever financing round by a private life sciences company. Fidelity Management & Research Company, Woodford Investment Management, Malin Corporation, Eli Lilly and Company, and RTW Investments all participated in this fundraise along with other unnamed investors and existing shareholders. In September 2017, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation announced a $40 million investment in Immunocore to accelerate the development of Immunocore's ImmTAV and ImmTAB therapeutics. In March 2020, Immunocore announced the closing of its $130 million Series B private financing round. In January 2021, Immunocore announced the closing of its $75 million Series C round. Immunocore went public in February 2021, with closing announced on 9 February 2021.

Scientific background

T cell receptors (TCRs) are molecules found on the surface of T lymphocytes (or T cells) and play various roles in the immune system. TCRs are often cited as aiding in recognising foreign antigens being presented by cells which have been infected by viruses or intracellular bacteria. Immunocore has developed a line of biologic medicines by combining engineered, cancer-recognising, soluble TCRs with immune activating complexes that direct the immune system to kill cancer cells. These drugs are commonly referred to as immune-mobilising monoclonal TCRs against cancer (ImmTAC molecules).

Clinical pipeline

IMCgp100 (Tebentafusp) Tebentafusp is a soluble, bi-specific t cell engager. On 23 November 2020, Immunocore announced a Phase 3 data readout for tebentafusp in the field of immuno-oncology. In Jan 2022 the US FDA approved tebentafusp-tebn for HLA-A*02:01-positive adult patients with unresectable or metastatic uveal melanoma.

Other Pipeline Programs Immunocore's other pipeline programs include IMC-C103C, an ImmTAC candidate in Phase 1 partnered with Genentech for the treatment of solid tumors expressing MAGE-A4, and IMC-F106C, an ImmTAC candidate which is also in Phase 1 studies for solid tumors expressing PRAME. Earlier programs include candidates for the treatment of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

Corporate governance Sir John Bell serves as Immunocore's chairman of the board. Bahija Jallal is chief executive officer and director of the board, with several other board members, including Nobel Laureate Peter J. Ratcliffe.

See also Antibody-drug conjugate Immunostimulant

References

External links Official website

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Immunocore

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Immunocore claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Immunocore before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Immunocore ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Immunocore

In research: Immunocore appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Immunocore in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Immunocore is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 2008 establishments in the United Kingdom, Biotechnology companies established in 2008, Biotechnology companies of the United Kingdom, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Immunocore outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Immunocore in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Immunocore means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Immunocore out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Immunocore in simple terms?

Immunocore is a global commercial-stage biotechnology company, based in Oxfordshire, which researches and develops biological drugs using soluble T-cell receptor technology. History Immunocore was founded in 2008 as a spinout of MediGene AG, which acquired Avidex in 2006.

Why does Immunocore matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Immunocore?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Immunocore.