Kahimmune Therapeutics signs agreement for scientific collaboration with Gustave Roussy

• Agreement will enable selection of Kahimmune’s first companion neoantigen therapy candidate against colorectal cancer and pancreatic cancer, with financial support from Bpifrance

• Kahimmune exploits dark genome to develop next-generation immuno-oncology therapies

Avignon, France, April 28, 2026 – Kahimmune Therapeutics, a biotechnology company developing next-generation immuno-oncology therapies, today announces the signing of an agreement for scientific collaboration with Gustave Roussy, the leading European center in oncology. Co-founded by Gustave Roussy Transfert, the Gustave Roussy subsidiary in charge of promoting projects and companies from its scientific and medical community, Kahimmune develops shared mRNA companion neoantigen therapies integrating exclusive new neoantigens, designed for use in combination with existing cancer treatments to optimize them, making the therapies safer and more effective.

Under this agreement, Kahimmune has access to patients’ biological samples for generating preclinical data aimed at selecting the antigens that will form its first therapeutic candidate, KAH-001, by mid-2027. This candidate will target colorectal and pancreatic cancers. The company can then start preclinical development and CMC activities to obtain a clinical mRNA candidate using lipid-based nanoparticles (mRNA-LNP), which will be ready to enter regulatory preclinical development by mid-2029. 

Kahimmune has received €90,000 ($105K) in funding from France 2030 and Bpifrance for its collaboration on this research project, and a seed funding loan worth €100,000 ($117K) to develop its proprietary platform, Kahinomics^TM. This innovative platform draws on the latest discoveries in immunology relating to the dark genome, created using the non-coding RNAs that represent 98% of our DNA.

“We are very happy with this first collaboration with Gustave Roussy, a key player in cancer research, that has supported us since Kahimmune’s creation. This is a crucial step in the selection of our first therapeutic candidate ahead of initiating preclinical development,” explained Philippe Villain-Guillot, Kahimmune founder and CEO. “We also thank France 2030 and Bpifrance for their financial support. A seed funding round is underway, and we are continuing to liaise with potential clinical and academic partners.”

“With this agreement, Gustave Roussy once more demonstrates its capacity to collaborate with highly innovative biotech start-ups to enable them to progress their assets to the preclinical stage,” added Christophe Javaud, executive director at Gustave Roussy Transfert. “Furthermore, Kahimmune is one of five businesses that have recently joined the BOOST program run by the Paris-Saclay Cancer Cluster, one of our partners.” 

According to the WHO, colorectal cancer is currently the third most diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, with 1.9 million new cases and 900,000 deaths a year. These figures are likely to grow by more than 70% and 90% respectively by 2050. As for pancreatic cancer, it is ranked the second most common digestive tract cancer, after colorectal cancer, with more than 510,000 new cases a year worldwide. It has an extremely poor outcome and represents the sixth leading cause of cancer-related deaths, with more than 467,000 deaths a year. Here too, projections indicate growth of more than 65% and 70% respectively by 2050.

About Gustave Roussy

Ranked as the leading French and European Cancer Centre and fourth in the world, Gustave Roussy is a centre with comprehensive expertise and is devoted entirely to patients suffering with cancer. The Institute is a founding member of the Paris Saclay Cancer Cluster. It is a source of diagnostic and therapeutic advances. It caters to almost 54,000 patients per year, including 2,760 children and teenagers, and its approach is one that integrates research, patient care and teaching. It is specialized in the treatment of rare cancers and complex tumors and it treats all cancers in patients of any age. Its care is personalized and combines the most advanced medical methods with an appreciation of the patient’s human requirements. In addition to the quality of treatment offered, the physical, psychological and social aspects of the patient’s life are respected. 4,000 professionals work on its two campuses: Villejuif and Chevilly-Larue. Gustave Roussy brings together the skills that are essential for the highest quality research in oncology: 40.5% of patients treated are included in clinical studies.

For further information: www.gustaveroussy.fr, X, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Bluesky.

About Gustave Roussy Transfert

Founded in 2000, Gustave Roussy Transfert is the technology transfer and innovation arm of Gustave Roussy. Its mission is to identify and develop innovations emerging from the research teams based there, to establish and manage strategic translational partnerships, and to identify, promote and support entrepreneurial projects arising from the Gustave Roussy ecosystem.

About Kahimmune Therapeutics

Kahimmune Therapeutics is a pioneering biotechnology company that is re-exploring the cancer immunopeptidome to develop next-generation immuno-oncology therapies. By drawing on major discoveries relating to the dark genome – or non-coding genome – Kahimmune identifies exclusive new antigens, called Kahigens^TM, to design shared companion neoantigen therapies for use in combination with other therapies. A Gustave Roussy and SATT Paris-Saclay spin-off, the company combines a proprietary platform, Kahinomics^TM, with an exclusive intellectual property portfolio, to develop a strong pipeline targeting high incidence cancers, such as pancreatic and colorectal tumors. It is supported by Impulse, the French inter-university incubator, and is a member of the Eurobiomed competitivity cluster. Kahimmune Therapeutics is one of the innovative projects selected and supported by the Paris Saclay Cancer Cluster, whose mission is to accelerate the development of innovation in oncology.

Kahimmune Therapeutics, created in late 2025 and based in Avignon, France, has been established by an experienced founding team alongside strategic partnerships, with the aim of transforming cancer treatment through bold innovation in immunotherapy.

www.kahimmune.com