Oxford BioTherapeutics (OBT), a clinical-stage oncology company based in Oxford and San Jose, has entered a strategic collaboration with Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) to discover and develop next-generation T-cell engager therapies for solid tumours.
The multi-year agreement will leverage OBT’s proprietary OGAP®-Verify discovery platform alongside BMS’s oncology expertise to identify and advance novel tumour-selective targets.
The partnership aims to accelerate the development of innovative antibody-based therapies designed to improve outcomes for patients with solid cancers.
OBT’s OGAP®-Verify platform is used to identify and validate highly specific cancer targets with enhanced drug development potential.
Under the collaboration, OBT will apply this technology not only to target discovery but also to the design and delivery of development candidates. Subsequent research, development, and commercialisation activities for selected targets will be led by Bristol Myers Squibb.
The agreement includes an upfront payment to OBT, which incorporates research funding. The company may also receive milestone payments and royalties on net sales of any successfully commercialised products. Financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed.
The partnership represents OBT’s third major pharmaceutical collaboration in the past 12 months, following agreements with GSK and Roche in 2025. The company said this continued momentum demonstrates strong external validation of its platform and its growing role in oncology drug discovery.
Christian Rohlff, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of Oxford BioTherapeutics, said:
“Collaborating with Bristol Myers Squibb, a global leader in oncology, represents an important milestone for OBT and underscores the momentum behind our partnerships with leading pharmaceutical companies.
“This new partnership builds on the proven strength of our platform to identify and validate highly differentiated, tumour-selective targets and reflects the growing confidence in our ability to translate that science into development-ready therapeutic candidates.
“By combining OGAP®-Verify’s discovery and validation capabilities with Bristol Myers Squibb’s expertise in translating oncology innovation into clinical and commercial outcomes, we are confident that together we can advance a new generation of innovative cancer therapies that have the potential to make a meaningful difference for patients.”
OBT’s OGAP®-Verify platform enables highly sensitive identification of oncology targets with improved properties for drug development, supporting the creation of differentiated antibody-based therapies. The company is focused on antibody-based modalities including bispecific antibodies, antibody drug conjugates (ADCs), and targeted radiopharmaceuticals.
Oxford BioTherapeutics describes itself as a clinical-stage oncology company developing first-in-class antibody-based therapies aimed at addressing significant unmet needs in cancer treatment.
