AbbVie collaborates with OSE Immunotherapeutics on a new mAb for chronic inflammation

AbbVie collaborates with OSE Immunotherapeutics on a new mAb for chronic inflammation

AbbVie and OSE Immunotherapeutics have partnered under a global license on developing OSE-230, a mAb designed to treat chronic inflammation.

AbbVie and OSE Immunotherapeutics, a clinical-stage immunotherapy company, revealed on February 28, 2024 that they are collaborating to work on OSE-230, a monoclonal antibody (mAb) aimed at addressing chronic and severe inflammation. The monoclonal antibody is currently in pre-clinical development.

According to the agreement, OSE Immunotherapeutics will receive a $48 million upfront payment and could potentially earn up to an additional $665 million through various milestones. OSE Immunotherapeutics will also have the opportunity to earn tiered royalties based on global net sales of OSE-230. AbbVie will hold a worldwide license to develop, produce, and sell OSE-230 exclusively.

OSE-230 is formulated to trigger ChemR23, a G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) target, potentially providing a novel approach to resolving chronic inflammation. ChemR23 activation can influence the roles of macrophages and neutrophils, as stated in a company press release.

This collaboration highlights their dedication to enhancing our immunology portfolio with the ultimate aim of enhancing the standard of care for patients with inflammatory diseases worldwide. With our knowledge in immunology drug development, we are excited to progress OSE-230, providing a unique way to address chronic inflammation.

OSE Immunotherapeutics has a pipeline that includes the following candidates:

- Tedopi (immunotherapy that activates tumor-specific T-cells, available off-the-shelf, based on neoepitopes). This candidate represents a cancer vaccine and stands as the company's most advanced product. It has shown promising outcomes in a Phase III trial (Atalante 1) involving patients with non-small cell lung cancer who have developed secondary resistance following checkpoint inhibitor treatment. Tedopi is involved in additional Phase II trials, supported by clinical oncology groups, exploring combination treatment options for solid tumors.

- OSE-279 (anti-PD-1). This candidate has achieved its initial positive outcomes in an ongoing Phase I/II study involving solid tumors. OSE-279 represents the main treatment developed from the company's bispecific fusion protein platform, BiCKI.

- OSE-127 - lusvertikimab (humanized monoclonal antibody antagonist of interleukin 7 [IL-7] receptor). This candidate is currently participating in a Phase II study for ulcerative colitis and conducting preclinical research on leukemia.

-FR-104/VEL-101 (anti-CD28 monoclonal antibody). This monoclonal antibody was created in collaboration with Veloxis Pharmaceuticals, a subsidiary of Asahi Kasei, for transplantation therapy. Currently, it is being studied in Phase I/II trials in renal transplant and Phase I trials in the United States.

-BI 765063 and BI 770371 target the CD47/SIRPα pathway by inhibiting the signal-regulating protein alpha (SIRPα) with monoclonal antibodies. These candidates were created in collaboration with Boehringer Ingelheim for the management of advanced solid tumors. They have shown promising Phase I dose-escalation outcomes in both single therapy and in combination, especially with the anti-PD-1 antibody, ezabenlimab. They are currently participating in an international Phase Ib clinical trial, testing the combination of ezabenlimab with other drugs to treat patients with recurrent/metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and hepatocellular carcinoma.

Furthermore, OSE Immunotherapeutics anticipates creating more potential candidates from its three exclusive drug discovery platforms, in addition to the pipeline candidates mentioned.

The Pro-resolutive mAb platform aims to target and speed up the resolution of inflammatory conditions while also improving the therapeutic potential of targeting neutrophils and macrophages in the fields of inflammation and immunology (I&I). OSE-230 represents the initial candidate produced using this platform. Ongoing discovery programs are exploring new pro-resolutive G protein-coupled receptors.

The Myeloid Checkpoint platform focuses on enhancing the therapeutic potential of myeloid cells in immuno-oncology (IO) by targeting immune regulatory receptors expressed by macrophages and dendritic cells. BI 765063 and BI 770371 stand out as the most advanced candidates produced by this platform. Furthermore, there are other discovery programs in progress, showing promising preclinical results from monotherapy studies involving new anti-C-type lectin-like receptor-1 mAbs.

Utilizing the Cis-delivery of cytokine in IO and I&I, the cytokine platform is designed to enhance its effectiveness. BiCKI represents a bispecific fusion protein platform. It is based on the fundamental component of anti-PD-1 combined with a novel immunotherapy target. This combination is designed to enhance the effectiveness against tumors. BiCKI-IL-7v represents the latest candidate developed by the BiCKI platform, designed to target anti-PD-1xIL-7. Ongoing additional discovery programs are being conducted on Cis-demasking technologies.

Source: AbbVie

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