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Category: MPS

Integral Molecular Out-Licenses First-in-Class Antibody Panel Targeting SLC2A4 Glucose Transporter

Philadelphia –Integral Molecular, the industry leader in discovering antibodies against membrane proteins, is pleased to announce that it has out-licensed a panel of highly selective antibodies for the glucose transporter SLC2A4 (also known as GLUT4) for therapeutic development. The transporter has eluded antibody discovery efforts due to its structural complexity, making it inaccessible using traditional antibody discovery methods.

The antibodies licensed by Integral Molecular represent the first-ever monoclonal antibodies described against SLC2A4 and include antibodies specific to the inward-open and outward-open states of the transporter. These molecules were discovered using Integral Molecular’s proprietary technology suite, specifically tailored to access difficult membrane protein targets.

Integral Molecular’s specialized antibody discovery technologies include:

  • MPS Antibody Discovery platform – Elicits robust immune responses even against the most complex proteins and rare epitopes
  • Paratope-PLUS™ – Enhances antibody intellectual property and engineering
  • Membrane Proteome Array™ – Ensures absolute specificity by screening for off-target binding across a panel of 6,000 native-conformation membrane proteins

“Many diseases remain difficult to treat because the proteins involved in the disease pathway are simply too difficult to target,” said Joseph Rucker, PhD, Vice President of R&D at Integral Molecular. “We are thrilled that our platform opens doors to previously untapped targets. We look forward to helping bring SLC2A4-based therapeutics to patients.”

Explore Integral Molecular’s pipeline of therapeutic antibody assets
available for licensing

About Integral Molecular
Integral Molecular (integralmolecular.com) is the industry leader in creating transformative technologies that advance the discovery of therapeutics against difficult protein targets. With 20+ years of experience focused on membrane proteins, viruses, and antibodies, Integral Molecular’s technologies have been integrated into the drug discovery pipelines of over 600 biotech and pharmaceutical companies to help discover new therapies for cancer, diabetes, autoimmune disorders, and viral threats such as SARS-CoV-2, Ebola, Zika, and dengue viruses.

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Press Contact:
Integral Molecular, Inc.
Soma Banik, PhD, Director of Public Relations
215-966-6061
info@integralmolecular.com
www.integralmolecular.com

Integral Molecular’s Out-licensed Bispecific Antibody Enters Clinical Trial for Treating Solid Tumors

Philadelphia –Integral Molecular, a leader in antibody discovery against membrane proteins, is pleased to announce that its out-licensed anti-Claudin 6 (CLDN6) bispecific antibody, CTIM-76, has been dosed in the first patient in a Phase 1 clinical trial by its licensing partner, Context Therapeutics Inc. This milestone is part of a Phase 1 dose escalation and expansion trial enrolling patients with advanced or metastatic ovarian, endometrial, and testicular cancers.

CLDN6 is a structurally complex protein that is expressed in multiple cancers but absent from healthy tissue, making it an attractive drug target. However, targeting CLDN6 is challenging because numerous related proteins are present in healthy tissues.

Using their MPS Antibody Discovery platform, Integral Molecular isolated a lead molecule targeting a unique CLDN6 epitope to deliver potential best-in-class specificity compared with other molecules undergoing clinical development. Under a licensing agreement, Context Therapeutics Inc. is leading clinical development of CTIM-76, following the successful completion of IND-enabling studies.

CTIM-76 was generated using Integral Molecular’s proprietary technologies for discovering therapeutics against challenging targets:

  • MPS Antibody Discovery platform tailored to produce robust immune responses even against the most complex proteins and rare epitopes
  • Bispecific antibody engineering strategies that assess numerous bispecific antibody stoichiometries and formats in vitro and in vivo
  • Selection for exquisite specificity using Integral Molecular’s Membrane Proteome Array™ that screens biologics for reactivity against 6,000 native membrane proteins

“Our antibody discovery platform continues to advance untapped targets across oncology, autoimmune diseases, and other therapeutic areas to discover breakthrough treatments for patients,” said Joseph Rucker, PhD, Vice President of R&D at Integral Molecular. “We are proud to work with partners like Context Therapeutics who are bringing novel therapeutics to the clinic.”

Learn more about Integral Molecular’s pipeline of therapeutic antibody assets available for licensing

About Integral Molecular
Integral Molecular (integralmolecular.com) is the industry leader in creating transformative technologies that advance the discovery of therapeutics against difficult protein targets. With 20+ years of experience focused on membrane proteins, viruses, and antibodies, Integral Molecular’s technologies have been integrated into the drug discovery pipelines of over 600 biotech and pharmaceutical companies to help discover new therapies for cancer, diabetes, autoimmune disorders, and viral threats such as SARS-CoV-2, Ebola, Zika, and dengue viruses.

Follow Integral Molecular on LinkedIn

Press Contact:
Integral Molecular, Inc.
Soma Banik, PhD, Director of Public Relations
215-966-6061
info@integralmolecular.com
www.integralmolecular.com

Webinar Presented by Integral Molecular and The Antibody Society – Harnessing Divergent Species to Access Difficult and Conserved Antibody Targets

Thursday, April 25, 2024
8 am PT, 11 am ET, 17:00 CET
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To exploit highly conserved and difficult drug targets, including GPCRs and ion channels, monoclonal antibody discovery efforts are increasingly relying on the advantages offered by divergent species such as rabbits, camelids, and chickens. Divergent host species enable robust immune responses against highly conserved binding sites and yield antibodies capable of penetrating functional pockets via long HCDR3 regions. Pan-reactive molecules are often produced by divergent hosts, and these antibodies can be tested in accessible animal models, offering a faster path to clinical development.

In this webinar, Dr. Ross Chambers will analyze gaps in therapeutic antibodies that stem from the historic use of mice and examine opportunities to exploit previously inaccessible targets through discovery in alternate species. Examples of preclinical and clinical-stage antibodies raised in divergent species will be highlighted, providing an overview of their success

Antibody Society and Integral Molecular webinar

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Integral Molecular Enters Into Exclusive Antibody License With Seismic Therapeutic

Philadelphia – Integral Molecular, a leading biotech company specializing in antibody discovery against undruggable protein targets, announced today that it has entered into an antibody license agreement with Seismic Therapeutic. Under the terms of the agreement, Integral Molecular will provide an exclusive license to Seismic Therapeutic for a collection of fully humanized, highly specific, preclinical antibodies to add to their platform, library, and pipeline of molecules in the immunology space. Seismic Therapeutic will assume full responsibility for all research, development, and commercialization activities related to these antibodies.

The antibodies licensed by Seismic Therapeutic were identified using Integral Molecular’s MPS Antibody Discovery platform. This platform is built upon the company’s 20+ years of experience in working with the most challenging protein targets and ability to deliver preclinical lead candidate molecules. Unique aspects of this platform include the use of advanced immunization strategies including combinations of RNA, DNA and protein boosting via Lipoparticles, and evolutionarily divergent host animals (chickens) capable of generating diverse panels of antibodies against highly conserved targets.

“We are thrilled that Seismic chose Integral Molecular as a partner for their antibody discovery efforts,” said Ross Chambers, PhD, VP of Antibody Discovery at Integral Molecular. “Using chickens as immunization hosts was important for Seismic’s project, as conventional approaches like mouse immunization would not have produced the diverse antibodies needed for their program. We wish Seismic Therapeutic much success as they continue to develop these antibodies.”

About Integral Molecular
Integral Molecular (integralmolecular.com) is the industry leader in developing and applying innovative technologies that advance the discovery of therapeutics against difficult protein targets. With 20 years of experience focused on membrane proteins and antibodies, Integral Molecular’s technologies have been integrated into the drug discovery pipelines of over 500 biotech and pharmaceutical companies to help discover new therapies for cancer, diabetes, autoimmune disorders, and viral threats such as SARS-CoV-2, Ebola, Zika, and dengue viruses.

Follow Integral Molecular on LinkedIn

About Seismic Therapeutic
Seismic Therapeutic™ is a biotechnology company making a major shift in how immunology therapies are discovered and developed, enabled by machine learning. The company has a growing preclinical stage best-in-class and first-in-class biologics pipeline, derived from its integrated IMPACT platform, to control dysregulated adaptive immunity and address multiple autoimmune diseases. The company is backed by a strong syndicate of life sciences investors and is located in the Boston biotechnology hub. For more information, please visit www.seismictx.com, and follow us on LinkedIn and on X (formerly Twitter) @Seismic_Tx.

Press Contact:
Integral Molecular, Inc.
Soma Banik, PhD, Director of Public Relations
215-966-6061
info@integralmolecular.com
www.integralmolecular.com

Integral Molecular Unveils Trispecific Molecules Targeting GPRC5D, BCMA, and CD3 for Multiple Myeloma

Philadelphia – Integral Molecular, a leading biotech company specializing in antibody discovery against undruggable protein targets will present multispecific molecules targeting GPRC5D, BCMA, and CD3 this week during the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) conference in San Diego.

Recent clinical data demonstrate that combination therapy of T cell engaging molecules individually targeting GPRC5D and BCMA on tumor cells offers unprecedented therapeutic benefits in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma patients. A trispecific antibody that simultaneously engages these molecules while activating T cells is expected to provide comparable and additional benefits as a monotherapy.

Integral Molecular’s oncology drug discovery program has yielded a panel of high affinity bispecific and trispecific molecules targeting GPRC5D, a GPCR target with complex structural biology. The molecules show picomolar cell-killing activity and are highly selective for their targets.

“For decades we have navigated the complexities of molecules like GPRC5D, successfully discovering antibodies against even the most challenging targets,” said Joseph Rucker, PhD, VP of R&D at Integral Molecular. “In just a few short months we were able to simultaneously target GPRC5D and BCMA, and we expect to rapidly advance this molecule into preclinical studies.”

The company leveraged its MPS antibody discovery platform to discover and engineer antibodies for this program. MPS is unique from other platforms in the use of RNA, DNA, and virus-like particles (VLPs, or Lipoparticles) to present properly folded membrane proteins, and the use of divergent species (chickens) to generate diverse antibody responses.

Dr. Rucker will present the company’s bi- and trispecific GPRC5D antibodies in a poster during the SITC 2023 conference. GPRC5D and other antibody assets from Integral Molecular are available for licensing.

About Integral Molecular
Integral Molecular (integralmolecular.com) is the industry leader in developing and applying innovative technologies that advance the discovery of therapeutics against difficult protein targets. With 20 years of experience focused on membrane proteins and antibodies, Integral Molecular’s technologies have been integrated into the drug discovery pipelines of over 500 biotech and pharmaceutical companies to help discover new therapies for cancer, diabetes, autoimmune disorders, and viral threats such as SARS-CoV-2, Ebola, Zika, and dengue viruses.

Follow Integral Molecular on LinkedIn

Press Contact:
Integral Molecular, Inc.
Soma Banik, PhD, Director of Public Relations
215-966-6061
info@integralmolecular.com
www.integralmolecular.com

Integral Molecular Secures Nearly $900K in NIH Funding to Discover Antibodies Against Difficult and Conserved Protein Targets

PHILADELPHIA–Integral Molecular, a leading biotech company specializing in antibody discovery against challenging protein targets, announces that it has been awarded NIH funding totaling $896,000. The NIH has identified 230 GPCRs and ion channels as underexplored targets with potential to impact human health as part of its project, Illuminating the Druggable Genome. Funding awarded by NIH enables Integral Molecular to discover antibodies against many of these targets. To enable better models of human disease, Integral Molecular has also received NIH funding to discover antibodies that target highly conserved proteins across species.

Integral Molecular will employ its MPS antibody discovery platform to discover antibodies for both initiatives. This platform is tailored to deliver molecules against difficult and conserved targets such as GPCRs and ion channels that are valuable drug targets. Integral Molecular’s strategy of generating antibodies in chickens is key for producing antibodies against conserved targets, a feat not easily achieved with conventional technologies. What additionally sets MPS apart from other platforms is the use of RNA and virus-like particles (VLPs, or Lipoparticles) for presenting properly folded membrane proteins to generate robust responses.

“With our decades-long experience studying complex proteins and an antibody success rate exceeding 95%, we are confident in delivering the desired molecules,” stated Ross Chambers, PhD, Vice President of Antibody Discovery at Integral Molecular. “Our isolation of antibodies reactive with diverse species will help reduce the use of non-human primates in research.”

Integral Molecular scientists will present the company’s antibody discovery strategies during the upcoming SITC conference. They will also describe the company’s pipeline featuring antibodies targeting claudin 6 and GPRC5D for multiple myeloma and other cancers.

About Integral Molecular
Integral Molecular (integralmolecular.com) is the industry leader in developing and applying innovative technologies that advance the discovery of therapeutics against difficult protein targets. With 20 years of experience focused on membrane proteins and antibodies, Integral Molecular’s technologies have been integrated into the drug discovery pipelines of over 500 biotech and pharmaceutical companies to help discover new therapies for cancer, diabetes, autoimmune disorders, and viral threats such as SARS-CoV-2, Ebola, Zika, and dengue viruses.

Follow Integral Molecular on LinkedIn
Follow Integral Molecular on Twitter

Press Contact:
Integral Molecular, Inc.
Soma Banik, PhD, Director of Public Relations
215-966-6061
info@integralmolecular.com
www.integralmolecular.com

Webinar presented by Integral Molecular and Fierce Biotech – Conquering Undruggable Targets to Obtain Preclinical Antibodies

Thursday, September 14, 2023
8 am PT, 11 am ET, 17:00 CET
Watch the webinar

Despite the remarkable growth of antibody-based therapies in recent years, numerous promising targets remain untapped. Many targets have resisted conventional discovery approaches because they are highly conserved, structurally complex, or they present other technical hurdles. In this webinar, industry experts will share innovative strategies they have used to unlock challenging targets including membrane proteins.

They will discuss:

  • Key questions that scientists should ask before embarking on an antibody discovery campaign
  • How to leverage advancements in immunization—including RNA—to target native epitopes and generate diverse antibodies
  • Strategies for unlocking conserved antibody targets using approaches such as divergent host species
  • Case studies of two challenging targets, claudin 6 and GPRC5D, with a focus on key innovations that led to the discovery of preclinical candidates including CTIM-76, a pre-IND (Investigational New Drug) stage molecule being developed for oncology therapeutics

 

Fierce Life Sciences and Integral Molecular webinar speakers banner

Watch the webinar

Integral Molecular Reveals Mechanism Underlying Exquisite Specificity of Claudin 6 Therapeutic Antibody Being Developed for Solid Tumors

PHILADELPHIA–Integral Molecular, the industry leader in antibody discovery for membrane proteins, has published the targeting mechanism enabling best-in-class specificity of its Claudin 6 (CLDN6) antibody CTIM-76 being developed for cancer therapy with Context Therapeutics. CLDN6 is a tumor-specific protein found in multiple solid tumors—including ovarian, endometrial, lung, gastric, and testicular—but absent from healthy adult tissues. Until now, its structural complexity and similarity to related proteins has hindered efforts to develop safe and selective therapeutics, with most CLDN6 antibody clinical trials being halted due to specificity-related safety issues. The similarity of the target to widely expressed Claudins 3, 4 and 9 means that non-specific binding could kill otherwise healthy tissues.

Publication Details
In their recent publication (Screnci et al., iScience December 2022), Integral Molecular scientists describe the isolation of highly specific CLDN6 antibodies that use a single atomic contact point centered around amino acid 156 to derive exquisite specificity. This interaction site allows the antibody to bind CLDN6 but not any of the other 24 claudin family members.

Key findings include:

  • Best-in-class specificity of CLDN6 antibodies compared to clinical benchmarks
  • Unusual steric hindrance mechanism of the gamma carbon on Q156 discovered as critical for absolute specificity of antibodies for CLDN6 versus CLDN9
  • CLDN6 antibodies exhibited excellent developability

“We are thrilled to be progressing high-specificity antibodies to safely target Claudin 6-positive tumors,” said Ross Chambers, PhD, VP of Antibody Discovery at Integral Molecular. “The ability of our antibodies to interact specifically with Claudin 6 is extraordinary since the target and related proteins differ by just a few atoms at the binding site.”

Integral Molecular’s MPS Antibody Discovery Platform is tailored to discover rare antibodies with maximal epitope diversity. Integral Molecular is co-developing CTIM-76 with Context Therapeutics to treat ovarian cancer and other solid tumors. CTIM-76 is a CLDN6xCD3 antibody that brings cytotoxic T cells into proximity with CLDN6-expressing tumor cells to initiate cell killing. Investigational New Drug (IND)-enabling studies are currently underway, and Context expects to submit an IND application for CTIM-76 to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for first-in-human trials in the first quarter of 2024.

About Integral Molecular
Integral Molecular (integralmolecular.com) is the industry leader in developing and applying innovative technologies that advance the discovery of therapeutics against difficult protein targets. With 20 years of experience focused on membrane proteins and antibodies, Integral Molecular’s technologies have been integrated into the drug discovery pipelines of over 400 biotech and pharmaceutical companies to help discover new therapies for cancer, diabetes, autoimmune disorders, and viral threats such as SARS-CoV-2, Ebola, Zika, and dengue viruses.

Follow Integral Molecular on LinkedIn
Follow Integral Molecular on Twitter

Press Contact:
Integral Molecular, Inc.
Soma Banik, PhD, Director of Public Relations
215-966-6061
info@integralmolecular.com
www.integralmolecular.com

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