Abveris and Abilita Bio Announce Collaboration to Develop Therapeutics for Challenging Membrane Protein Targets

Canton, MA, USA--(San Diego, CA, USA)--Abveris, Inc. (“Abveris”) and Abilita Bio, Inc. (“Abilita”), both privately held biotechnology companies, announce a joint research collaboration that will leverage the synergies between their platforms to enable the discovery of novel antibodies targeting key GPCRs within the tumor immune microenvironment.

The difficulty in discovering therapeutic antibodies targeting multi-span membrane proteins (MMPs) such as GPCRs is well known to the field and has resulted in a massive R&D gap. The crux lies in the deep unmet need for technologies that can overcome the poor antigenicity and weak immunogenicity associated with MMP antigens. This challenge requires a two-pronged approach that can simultaneously improve the presentation of the properly folded target protein to the immune system and augment the immune response. This collaboration strategically combines cutting-edge platforms that can address the challenge from both sides and has the potential to set a new standard in the field.

Abilita’s EMP™ evolution technology was developed specifically to overcome the challenges associated with high-quality antigen production that have historically hampered antibody discovery efforts. EMP™ antigens, exhibiting unparalleled conformational homogeneity and stability, will be used by Abveris to immunize their proprietary DiversimAb™ mice that have been engineered to overcome the tolerance limitations traditionally experienced with highly conserved proteins while maximizing epitope coverage and hit diversity. The combination of unsurpassed antigen quality and the maximum immune response is anticipated to result in diverse panels of antibodies against even the toughest MMP targets.

“We are excited to launch this joint drug discovery effort with one of the leading innovators in antibody discovery,” said Abilita Bio’s CEO, Mauro Mileni. “The combination of our two platforms makes perfect sense and presents a tremendous opportunity to drive the discovery of novel therapeutic antibodies against tough targets, where traditional discovery efforts have struggled to make headway.”

“Successful antibody discovery against the new wave of therapeutic targets requires continued integration of innovative and sophisticated new technologies,” commented Tracey Mullen, the CEO of Abveris. “The team at Abilita Bio has developed an exciting technology, and when paired with the DiversimAb platform, it promises to redefine the way we approach these targets. We are thrilled to be working with their team of impassioned scientists to provide essential solutions for rapid clinical advancement of cancer therapeutics.”