VETIGENICS ANNOUNCES PUBLICATION OF COMPREHENSIVE PRECLINICAL DATA FOR ANTI-CANINE CTLA4 MONOCLONAL ANTIBODY

PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Vetigenics, an animal health biotechnology company, has announced preclinical data that paves the way for clinical evaluation of the first entirely canine, anti-CTLA4 antibody to promote anti-tumor immunity in dogs with immune-responsive cancers. Published in the current issue of mAbs,¹ studies of Vetigenics' anti-CTLA4 antibody (A1mut2 mAb) demonstrated in vitro functionality as well as favorable in vivo safety and biodistribution properties in laboratory mice.

The manuscript, "Development of a Fully Canine Anti-Canine CTLA4 Monoclonal Antibody for Comparative Translational Research in Dogs with Spontaneous Tumors," describes the discovery, design and functional properties of this important immune checkpoint inhibitor. It also validates the use of Vetigenics' proprietary phage display libraries to rapidly isolate and evaluate novel, entirely canine antibodies.

"The results of this work are compelling," said Vetigenics co-founder Nicola Mason, BVetMD, PhD. "We've proven Vetigenics' unique platform and developed a novel veterinary checkpoint inhibitor that's specific for its target and promotes T cell responses. Now this antibody can move directly into canine clinical trials. Our ability to rapidly isolate, validate and evaluate our antibodies in vivo confirms Vetigenics can quickly bring promising new immune therapies to the clinic to support dogs with debilitating diseases."

Introduced in 2018, Vetigenics' technology is the first entirely canine phage display platform. Designed for dogs, by dogs, Vetigenics' proprietary technology consists of a large and comprehensive single chain variable fragment (scFvs) phage display library from which entirely canine scFvs or CANIBODIES™ can be rapidly isolated. CANIBODIES are derived from antibody sequences, which were created by and existed in dogs. They're not caninized, synthetic or generated from murine sources. This technology eliminates the risk for host anti-drug immune response, prolongs half-life, and allows for therapeutic versatility. Unlike other technologies, validation of the target-specificity of CANIBODIES occurs in the first step of development, which helps reduce overall R&D costs.

The first phase of the anti-CTLA4 study, led by Vetigenics co-founder Donald Siegel, MD, PhD, focused on selecting large arrays of canine anti-canine CTLA4 scFvs and identifying those with optimal functional properties. Then Dr. Mason and Vetigenics' scientists conducted preclinical studies evaluating the preliminary therapeutic potential of cCTLA4-specific scFvs based on their ability to block the interaction between cCTLA4 protein and its ligands, CD80 and CD86. Select clones were then chosen and reformatted into full length monoclonal antibodies for further testing. In vivo studies in mice were also conducted, which demonstrated safety and appropriate biodistribution.

"Immune checkpoint inhibitors and the ability to treat cancer by using the patient's own immune system has transformed cancer therapy for humans, but we have yet to be able to do that for our pets," Dr. Siegel said. "This new data is exciting because it suggests we will be able to offer this therapy to 'our best friends' to help improve the quality of their lives."

Full text of the manuscript and supplemental material are available for review and download at mAbs open access site: www.tandfonline.com/toc/kmab20/current.

¹mAbs, Volume 13, Issue 1 (2021), https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/kmab20/current

About Vetigenics, LLC

Vetigenics is a privately held animal health biopharmaceutical company committed to improving canine health through the development of entirely canine, safe and effective antibody-based immunotherapies to treat chronic diseases of companion animals. The company's founders, Nicola Mason, BVetMed, PhD, and Don Siegel MD, PhD, of the University of Pennsylvania, are internationally recognized leaders in veterinary medicine, immunotherapy, and phage display technology. Their complementary expertise naturally resulted in an unrivalled ability to generate and validate entirely canine antibodies for therapeutic and diagnostic purposes. For more information, visit www.vetigenics.com and connect with us on LinkedIn.

About mAbs
mAbs is a multi-disciplinary journal dedicated to the art and science of antibody research and development. The journal has a strong scientific and medical focus, but also strives to serve a broader readership with articles of interest to scientists, clinical researchers, and physicians, as well as the wider

mAb community, including technology transfer, legal issues, investment, strategic planning, and the regulation of therapeutics.

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SOURCE Vetigenics, LLC