Optera Therapeutics

Optera Therapeutics was a Houston-based biotechnology company specializing in the development of adoptive T-cell therapies for cancer. The company was founded based on the pioneering research of Dr. Cassian Yee at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, focusing on the isolation and expansion of endogenous tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and antigen-specific T-cells. Its core technology aimed to provide personalized immunotherapy by targeting specific tumor antigens. In 2015, Optera was acquired by Immatics Biotechnologies to establish Immatics US, serving as the foundation for their adoptive cell therapy programs. The acquisition combined Optera's cell therapy expertise with Immatics' XPRESIDENT target discovery platform to accelerate the development of next-generation TCR-T and endogenous T-cell therapies.