Blue Bees Therapeutics is a biotechnology company founded in 2022, dedicated to the development of first-in-class immunotherapies for the treatment of cancer, based on a disruptive technology (i.Ther) discovered by the team led by Dr Michel Léonetti, within the Department of Pharmacology and Immunoanalysis at CEA Paris-Saclay.
Blue Bees Therapeutics technology consists of protein complexes combining an L1 ligand (an antibody) of a receptor selectively expressed on the surface of immune cells, with an L2 ligand of heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs). HSPGs represent a family of molecules expressed by most cells. They often act as co-receptors promoting cell signaling and can thus potentiate receptor-mediated activation.
Our L1-L2 complexes capitalize on the properties of these co-receptors by potentiating immune cell activation via the binding of L2 to the HSPG co-receptor, following the binding of L1 to its specific receptor. This potentiation leads to the expansion of immune cells in vivo, particularly dendritic cells, which contribute to the anti-tumor immune response (Knittel et al., 2016, Vaccine, 34: 3093-3101).
Blue Bees Therapeutics’ first drug candidate, BB10X, activates multiple immune cells and impacts both hot and cold tumor growth, as demonstrated in mice, underscoring its therapeutic potential for multiple cancer indications. What’s more, BB10x’s mode of action means it can be used as monotherapy or combination therapy.
Based on the company’s i.Ther technology, Blue Bees Therapeutics has also developed a discovery platform, to identify new immune modulators, alternatively to improve already marketed immune checkpoint inhibitors (biobetters).
Blue Bees Therapeutics has obtained a worldwide license for the patented technology from the CEA, via SATT Paris-Saclay, as well as €2 million in seed funding through private equity and grants. The Company has also set up its research laboratory on the CEA Paris-Saclay campus. To know more
