NovImmune
Light Chain Bioscience (NovImmune SA) is a Swiss clinical-stage biotech developing fully human bispecific antibodies via its proprietary κλ body platform for oncology indications, partnering with pharmaceutical companies to advance multiple Phase I programs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1998
- HeadquartersPlan-les-ouates, Switzerland
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What NovImmune does
NovImmune SA, operating under the brand Light Chain Bioscience, is a Swiss privately held clinical-stage biotechnology company developing fully human bispecific antibodies for immuno-oncology and related indications. The company's core technology is a proprietary κλ body platform that combines kappa and lambda light chains with a common heavy chain, producing bispecific antibodies that retain the native human IgG structure without engineering modifications. The platform supports several mechanistic modalities: selective CD47 blockade on tumor cells (sparing healthy cells), conditional CD28 co-stimulation within the tumor microenvironment, and T cell redirection via CD3 engagement.
The company operates a portfolio of clinical-stage programs, including NI-1801 (CD47xMesothelin, Phase I in solid tumors), NI-1701 (CD47xCD19, partnered with TG Therapeutics for B-cell malignancies), NILK-2301 (CEACAM5xCD3, partnered with LamKap Bio), and NILK-2401 (CEACAM5xCD47, partnered with LamKap Bio). Preclinical and IND-enabling assets include NI-2901 (CD47xPD-L1), NI-3201 (PD-L1xCD28), and NI-3501 (IL-2R/IL-15R). Manufacturing is supported by a Lonza GMP partnership at 1,000-liter scale.
The business model is asset-light and licensing-driven. Light Chain Bioscience generates revenue through upfront payments, development and regulatory milestones, and commercial sales milestones from partnerships rather than direct product sales. Disclosed deal economics include the Edesa Biotech agreement ($2.5M upfront plus up to $363.5M in aggregate milestones), the Iksuda/LegoChem CD19 ADC license ($5M upfront plus up to $222M in milestones), and research collaborations with Takeda (hemophilia A) and Discoveric bio group (neurodegeneration and MDR infections). The company was founded in 1998, divested its emapalumab business to Sobi for $519 million in 2019, and rebranded as Light Chain Bioscience to focus on the bispecific platform. Leadership includes CEO Nicolas Fischer (MRC Cambridge-trained under 2018 Nobel laureate Greg Winter), Chairman Erich Hunziker (former Roche CFO), and CMO Jose Saro.
NovImmune firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- NovImmune
- Legal name
- NovImmune SA
- Website
- https://lightchainbio.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1998
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Light Chain Bioscience (NovImmune SA) is a Swiss clinical-stage biotech developing fully human bispecific antibodies via its proprietary κλ body platform for oncology indications, partnering with pharmaceutical companies to advance multiple Phase I programs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
NovImmune industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Bispecific Antibody Therapeutics
- NAICS
- Biological Product (except Diagnostic) Manufacturing (325414), Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)
- SIC
- Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Monoclonal Antibody Therapeutics (mAbs) (HLAAAAAA)
Keywords
Where NovImmune is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Plan-les-ouates
- HQ country
- Switzerland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
NovImmune business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Licensing and Milestone Payments: The company generates revenue through licensing agreements that include upfront payments, development and regulatory milestones, and commercial sales milestones. Edesa Biotech paid $2.5M in Series A-1 convertible preferred shares plus up to $6M near-term consideration and up to $363.5M in aggregate milestone payments and royalties.
- ADC Licensing Revenue Share: Revenue from licensing agreements for antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), where Light Chain Bioscience receives milestone payments and royalties on commercial sales, shared with partners like LegoChem Biosciences.
- Research Collaboration Payments: Upfront payments, milestone achievements, and tiered royalties on net sales from research collaborations with Discoveric Group and other partners for multi-specific antibody development.
- Co-development Revenue: Revenue sharing arrangements with co-development partners like TG Therapeutics for joint development and commercialization of bispecific antibody candidates.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
NovImmune product offering
Product offeringCore offering
NovImmune SA (operating as Light Chain Bioscience) is a clinical-stage Swiss biotechnology company that discovers and develops fully human bispecific monoclonal antibodies using its proprietary κλ body platform. The company advances a pipeline of immuno-oncology candidates targeting CD47, CD28, CD3, and tumor-associated antigens, and monetizes these assets through licensing agreements, co-development partnerships, and milestone/royalty arrangements with pharmaceutical and biotech companies.
Product overview
Light Chain Bioscience is a clinical-stage biotechnology company advancing next-generation bispecific antibodies for oncology using its proprietary κλ body platform. The company's portfolio includes multiple clinical-stage programs: NI-1801 (CD47xMesothelin) for solid tumors, NI-1701 (CD47xCD19) for B-cell malignancies, NI-2901 and NI-2601 (CD47xPD-L1) bispecifics for dual immune checkpoint blockade, and NI-3201 (PD-L1xCD28) for T-cell co-stimulation. Partnered programs include NILK-2301 and NILK-2401 (CEACAM5-targeted bsAbs) with LamKap Bio. The κλ body platform enables fully human bispecific antibodies with native IgG structure, reducing immunogenicity risk. The company leverages selective CD47 targeting and tumor-selective CD28 agonism mechanisms to harness both innate and adaptive immunity against cancer.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- κλ body Platform Proprietary bispecific antibody platform that generates fully human IgG bispecific antibodies by pairing kappa and lambda light chains with identical heavy chains, retaining native human antibody structure without engineering modifications. Offered to partners for technology access, bispecific lead generation, and co-development.
- NI-1801 First-in-class CD47xmesothelin bispecific antibody selectively targeting the innate immune checkpoint CD47 on mesothelin-expressing cancer cells. In Phase I/II evaluation for ovarian and mesothelin-positive solid tumors.
- NI-1701 (TG-1801) CD47xCD19 bispecific antibody delivering selective CD47 blockade to CD19-positive B cells while sparing non-B cells. Phase I trial completed in collaboration with TG Therapeutics for B cell malignancies including DLBCL and follicular lymphoma.
- NI-2901 Affinity-optimized CD47xPD-L1 bispecific antibody designed for dual immune checkpoint blockade. Engineered to reduce erythrocyte binding and improve biodistribution through fine-tuned affinity.
- NI-3201 PD-L1xCD28 bispecific antibody designed to restore anti-tumor immunity by combining PD-L1 blockade with conditional CD28 co-stimulation.
- NILK-2301 CEACAM5xCD3 bispecific κλ body T cell engager for immunotherapy of CEACAM5-expressing solid cancers. Phase I clinical trial ongoing in partnership with LamKap Bio Group.
- NILK-2401 CEACAM5xCD47 bispecific κλ body for immunotherapy of CEACAM5-expressing cancers. First patient dosed in October 2024 in Phase I clinical trial.
- NI-3501 IL-2R/IL-15R bispecific antibody pair designed for selective activation within tumors using paired bsAb strategy to minimize systemic toxicities.
- LCB73 (CD19-targeted ADC) CD19-targeted antibody-drug conjugate candidate for hematological tumors, combining Light Chain Bioscience's proprietary CD19-targeting antibody with LegoChem Biosciences' linker and toxin ADC platform. Licensed to Iksuda Therapeutics.
- EB05 (anti-TLR4 monoclonal antibody) Anti-TLR4 monoclonal antibody for treatment of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and COVID-19. Licensed to Edesa Biotech; Phase 2 data showed 68.5% reduction in 28-day mortality risk.
Quantifiable outcome
- 75.2% one-year overall survival rate in Phase 1b combination therapy cohort (21 patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer)
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use NovImmune
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
NovImmune technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
NovImmune partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- TG TherapeuticscoreGlobal collaboration for development and commercialization of TG-1801 (NI-1701), a CD47xCD19 bispecific antibody for B cell malignancies. Phase I clinical trial completed showing favorable safety profile with 23% partial responses as monotherapy and 44% response rate in combination with ublituximab in DLBCL and FL patients.
- Discoveric bio groupmajorTwo research collaborations and worldwide licensing agreements: 1) Multi-specific antibodies against bacterial antigens for multidrug-resistant infections, 2) Brain-penetrating multi-specific antibodies for neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer's disease. Light Chain Bioscience receives upfront, milestone payments, and tiered royalties on net sales.
- LamKap BiocoreResearch collaboration and worldwide licensing agreement for developing bispecific antibodies retargeting T cells to tumor cells while blocking CD47 for treatment of solid cancers. Achieved milestones for clinical development candidates advancing to IND-enabling studies and GMP manufacturing with Lonza. Currently conducting Phase I trials for NILK-2301 (CD3/CEA) and NILK-2401 (CD47/CEA).
- LonzamajorContract manufacturing partnership for GMP production of bispecific antibodies. Successfully manufactured κλ bodies at 1,000-liter scale with high yields. Lonza used for GMP manufacturing of clinical development candidates from LamKap Bio collaboration.
- Iksuda TherapeuticsmajorWorldwide license agreement for development and commercialization of LCB73, a CD19-targeted ADC candidate for hematological tumors. Iksuda made $5M upfront payment with up to $222M in development, regulatory, and commercial milestones plus royalties. Revenue shared with Light Chain Bioscience partner LegoChem Biosciences.
- LegoChem BiosciencesmajorPartnership combining LegoChem's next-generation linker and toxin ADC platform with Light Chain Bioscience's proprietary CD19-targeting antibody for LCB73 ADC candidate development. LegoChem responsible for ADC technology while Light Chain provides antibody component.
- Edesa BiotechcoreExclusive worldwide license for development and commercialization of TLR4 and CXCL10 monoclonal antibodies for acute respiratory distress syndrome and COVID-19 treatment. Edesa paid $2.5M in Series A-1 shares plus up to $6M near-term consideration and up to $363.5M in aggregate milestone payments and royalties. EB05 showed 68.5% reduction in mortality risk in Phase 2.
- TakedamajorResearch collaboration for development of Factor VIII mimetic bispecific antibodies for treatment of hemophilia A patients. Milestone achieved for successful completion of discovery phase and designation of clinical development candidates for IND-enabling studies.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
NovImmune competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Genmab: Pioneer of the DuoBody bispecific antibody platform with multiple approved and clinical-stage assets (e.g., epcoritamab, talquetamab). Most directly comparable to Light Chain as a platform-driven bispecific antibody company with both proprietary and partnered programs.
- Xencor: Developer of the XmAb bispecific and engineered antibody platforms with multiple clinical-stage oncology candidates (e.g., plamotamab, vudalimab). Closely analogous as a platform-centric bispecific antibody company pursuing both internal pipeline and licensing.
- MacroGenics: Develops the DART and TRIDENT bispecific antibody platforms, with clinical assets in oncology including PD-1 × LAG-3 and CD3 × gp100. Comparable as a clinical-stage bispecific antibody company with both internal and partnered programs.
- Numab Therapeutics: Swiss-based developer of the lambda-cap bispecific antibody platform with multiple clinical-stage oncology programs. Most directly comparable geographically and technologically as another Switzerland-based bispecific platform company.
- Harpoon Therapeutics: Developed the TriTAC and ProTriTAC T-cell engaging bispecific platforms (now part of Merck following acquisition). Comparable as a clinical-stage T-cell engager bispecific company pursuing solid tumor indications.
- Adagene: Clinical-stage company using POWERbody and SAFEbody platforms to engineer bispecific antibodies with masked/tumor-selective activity. Comparable mechanism philosophy to Light Chain's selective CD47 approach.
- ALX Oncology: Clinical-stage company developing CD47-blocking therapeutics (evorpacept) for oncology. The most direct competitive peer in the selective CD47 space where Light Chain's NI-1801 is positioned.
- Zymeworks: Develops the Azymetric and EFECT bispecific antibody platforms with multiple clinical-stage assets and major pharma partnerships (Jazz, BMS, Merck). Comparable as a platform-driven bispecific antibody company reliant on licensing economics.
- Dragonfly Therapeutics: Developer of the TriNKET and other multi-specific natural killer cell engager platforms for immuno-oncology. Comparable as an emerging bispecific/multi-specific platform company with major pharma partnerships (BMS, Merck, AbbVie).
Regional players
- Molecular Partners: Swiss-listed clinical-stage biotech developing DARPin-based multi-specific therapeutics for oncology and ophthalmology (e.g., MP0310, MP0317). Comparable as a Swiss-headquartered platform-driven biotech with partnered clinical assets and a similar partnership-led business model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
NovImmune social profiles
Digital presenceNovImmune financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
NovImmune leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
NovImmune funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds9 records
Investors9 records
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NovImmune M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about NovImmune
What does NovImmune do?
NovImmune SA (operating as Light Chain Bioscience) is a clinical-stage Swiss biotechnology company that discovers and develops fully human bispecific monoclonal antibodies using its proprietary κλ body platform. The company advances a pipeline of immuno-oncology candidates targeting CD47, CD28, CD3, and tumor-associated antigens, and monetizes these assets through licensing agreements, co-development partnerships, and milestone/royalty arrangements with pharmaceutical and biotech companies.
Is NovImmune a public or private company?
NovImmune is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was NovImmune founded?
NovImmune was founded in 1998. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is NovImmune based?
NovImmune is headquartered in Plan-les-ouates, Switzerland, in the Europe region.
How does NovImmune make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Licensing and Milestone Payments are the primary driver. The others are ADC Licensing Revenue Share, research Collaboration Payments and co-development Revenue.
Who are NovImmune's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Genmab, Xencor, MacroGenics, Numab Therapeutics, Harpoon Therapeutics, Adagene, ALX Oncology, Zymeworks and Dragonfly Therapeutics. Molecular Partners is listed as a regional player.
Does NovImmune have an API?
No public API is recorded for NovImmune.
What industry is NovImmune in?
NovImmune's product category is Bispecific Antibody Therapeutics. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAAAAAA, Monoclonal Antibody Therapeutics (mAbs). Its NAICS code is 325414 and its SIC code is 2836.