Cantargia, which specializes in the development of antibody-based therapeutics for various types of cancer and inflammatory diseases, is a new manufacturing customer for BioInvent.
The company’s antibody CAN10 addresses treatment of serious autoimmune/inflammatory diseases, with initial focus on systemic sclerosis and myocarditis. It is a fully humanized monoclonal antibody targeting IL1RAP that has been designed to block the signaling of the inflammatory cytokines IL-1, IL-33 and IL-36.
Under the agreement, which may generate revenue for BioInvent of up to SEK 30m (US$3.5m), BioInvent will provide process development, scale-up, supply of material for toxicological studies and clinical grade material in 1000L scale for use in phase I and II clinical trials.
The companies said the majority of the work will be completed in 2021 so that clinical trials can get underway as early as possible during 2022.
Martin Welschof, CEO of BioInvent, said the deal was “a clear testament” to the biotech’s expertise in state-of-the-art antibody manufacturing and a validation if the quality of its processes.
Other partnerships
BioInvent is currently also working in collaboration with the virus-based immunotherapies company, Transgene, on encoding undisclosed antibodies sequences to treat solid tumors and develop multi-functional oncolytic viruses (OVs)
It is also developing preclinical antibodies targeting tumor associated myeloid cells in collaboration with Pfizer.
Clinical programs
It says it is also in the process of progressing and expanding the clinical development of its lead antibody BI-1206 for treatment of NHL, and in combination with pembrolizumab (KEYTRUDA) in advanced solid cancers.
Moreover, it is advancing compounds into clinical programs: A clinical trial application was approved in October 2020 for BI-1808, an advanced anti-TNFR2 antibody, as a single agent and in combination with an anti-PD1 antibody. The biotech said it expects to submit a clinical trial application in Q2 2021 for BI-1607 (an anti-FcγRIIB antibody) in combination with a checkpoint inhibitor.