ImCheck ex-CEO on ASCO Oncology Trends, $1.2B Exit and French Biotech | Pierre d’Epenoux | E60

After ImCheck’s inception in 2015, Pierre took the helm through clinical development and guided the startup to a $1.2B buyout by Ipsen in 2025.
In a session at the Kadans Oncology Summit, he talks about how the exit materialised and the oncology space, including highlights from ASCO 2026, ADCs, in vivo CAR-T & checkpoint inhibitors.
He reveals some of the most shocking lessons he learned from his time at Imcheck.
---Learn more about Kadans’ Oncology Clusters, where oncology biotechs grow from start-up to global player: bit.ly/kadans-oncology---
⭐️ ABOUT THE SPEAKERPierre has 30 years of experience in the biopharmaceutical industry, including 9 years at ImCheck and more than 3 years as EVP, Chief Strategy Officer at Theravectys. Prior to this, he also spent 10 years in senior roles in Sanofi and Baxter Healthcare.
🔗 LINKS MENTIONED
• Kadans Oncology Summit — kadansoncologysummit.com
• ImCheck Therapeutics — imchecktherapeutics.com
• ImCheck ASCO data (2025) — imchecktherapeutics.com/all-press-release/news…
• ImCheck acquisition by Ipsen (2025) — ipsen.com/press-release/ipsen-to-acquire-imche…
• Pancreatic cancer ASCO data (2026) — asco.org/about-asco/press-center/multi-selecti…
• Dominik Schumacher, Tubulis | Founder-led ADC Biotech | E19 — flot.bio/episode/dominik-schumacher-tubulis
• Ona Therapeutics raises $86.6M — ona-therapeutics.com/press-release/ona-therape…
• Moderna five-year cancer-vaccine data (2026) — merck.com/news/moderna-merck-announce-5-year-d…
• Sean Marett | BioNTech, Art of Dealmaking | E25 — flot.bio/episode/sean-marett-biontech-dealmaking
• Laurent Levy, Nanobiotix | Nanoparticles, Radiotherapy | E45— flot.bio/episode/laurent-levy-nanobiotix-nanop…
• Marc de Garidel, Abivax | Ulcerative Colitis, Inflammation | E46 — flot.bio/episode/marc-de-garidel-abivax-ulcera…
• Jeito Capital €1B fund — jeito.life/en/jeito-capital-record-eur-1-billi…
• ASCO 2026: ADC & In Vivo CAR-T Trends: ⁠flot.bio/pierre-d-epenoux-imcheck-adc-oncology/⁠ (flot.bio/pierre-d-epenoux-imcheck-adc-oncology)

📜 TRANSCRIPT

Read the transcript here: flot.bio/episode/pierre-d-epenoux-imcheck-onco… (flot.bio/?post_type=episode&p=961)

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⏰ TIMESTAMPS
• [00:00:00] Intro
• [00:02:43] Highlights from ASCO 2026
• [00:07:48] ADCs and In Vivo CAR-T: the Next Wave
• [00:11:25] Pierre d’Epenoux Explains How to Stand Out in Oncology
• [00:15:45] Checkpoint Inhibitors and the Rise of Combination Therapies
• [00:21:23] ImCheck: from Inception to Ipsen Buyout
• [00:28:36] Pipeline Focus and French pharma: Why ImCheck Chose Ipsen
• [00:35:55] The Decision to Exit and Shocking Lessons
• [00:42:05] Why Checkpoint Inhibitors Disappointed Beyond PD-1
• [00:43:48] Quick-Fire Questions