GigaGen Publishes Study in Peer-Reviewed Journal mAbs, Validating Feasibility and Benefit of Rapid Parallel Immunization Protocols for Discovery of Novel Monoclonal Antibodies

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., March 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- GigaGen Inc., a biopharmaceutical company developing novel antibody therapies, today announced the publication of a study that shows the feasibility and benefit of its Surge™ antibody discovery and engineering platform for rapid monoclonal antibody discovery using multiple immunization protocols in parallel. The study has been published online in the peer-reviewed scientific journal mAbs, and it will be available as the cover article in the upcoming July printed issue.

The paper, "Antibody repertoire analysis of mouse immunization protocols using microfluidics and molecular genomics," presents a parallel immunization approach against two immuno-oncology targets using Surge, an alternative to hybridoma-based discovery that combines microfluidics, yeast single-chain variable fragment (scFv) display, and deep sequencing. Results show this approach can significantly improve discovery timelines and generate a deeper portfolio of candidates.

In the study, Trianni humanized mice were separately immunized with PD-1 and CTLA-4 using four immunization protocols. Surge was used to interrogate and characterize the diverse antibody repertoires generated to determine how different immunization protocols influenced the immune system response, something no previous study has ever attempted. GigaGen's study concludes that different immunization protocols generated a diverse response to each antigen, and thus performing multiple immunization strategies in parallel can yield greater overall antibody diversity.

"The research demonstrates the power of Surge to provide new insight into immune system function by quickly analyzing diverse immunization protocols and mouse platforms," said David Johnson, chief executive officer of GigaGen. "Performing multiple immunization protocols in parallel can yield greater diversity in therapeutic antibodies and improve discovery timelines – something only made possible through our unique approach. We will leverage these findings to determine the best path forward for development as we advance novel antibody therapeutics for patients with diseases of immune dysregulation."

About GigaGen
GigaGen is a privately-held, preclinical biopharmaceutical company developing novel antibody therapies to treat diseases of immune dysregulation. GigaGen's deep understanding of immune dysregulation is enabled by industry-leading technology that quickly captures the genetic makeup of entire immune repertoires to analyze B cells at a rate of millions per hour, while simultaneously identifying their antigen and protein binders. GigaGen has a robust internal pipeline consisting of novel antibodies against immuno-oncology targets, in addition to the first recombinant intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) for patients with immune deficiency. For more information visit www.GigaGen.com.

SOURCE GigaGen Inc.