Takeda Pharmaceutical and the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT jointly announced that Takeda will support groundbreaking science in immuno-oncology at the Koch Institute. Over the next two years, the $1 million gift will help to build upon the research currently being conducted by the Institute to investigate the role of the immune response in cancer and develop potential novel treatments.

“Takeda embraces innovative science both inside and outside of our organization, and as part of our commitment to patients with cancer, we look to support academic institutions that are leading research in immuno-oncology,” said Christopher Arendt, Ph.D., Immunology Discovery Lead at Takeda. “We are encouraged by the groundbreaking work underway at the Koch Institute in immuno-oncology, which has been a priority area of focus for Takeda and arguably one of the most significant breakthroughs in cancer research over the last few years. The Koch Institute’s dedication to the convergence of life sciences and engineering offers unique opportunities to advance this exciting field.”

“The Koch Institute was created to promote the best in science and engineering to develop new approaches in the fight against cancer. Immuno-oncology is a major focus of our efforts, and we are grateful to Takeda for its support in this important area of research," said Tyler Jacks, Ph.D., director, Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research.

Investigators at the Koch Institute are exploring the relationship between the immune system and cancer in animal models and human patients to improve immune responses to cancer. The Koch Institute works on the development of drug delivery tools, new methods for analyzing cellular immune responses and therapies based on engaging both the innate and the adaptive immune response, including therapeutic and preventative vaccines, as well as therapeutic antibodies through state-of-the art protein engineering methods.