Origene_Jan2021_ProperAntibodyDesignKeeps - 21

Proper Antibody Design Keeps Specificity In Mind
difficult to control what happens to them. They can

Schellenberger explains, " works like an adaptor

even multiply in that person. "

molecule. It bridges the tumor and the T cell. " XTEN

" We need to somehow mitigate the toxicity of

is a protein polymer that is engineered to behave

these T-cell engagers, " insists Schellenberger. " If you

like polyethylene glycol (PEG) which is attached to

have a protein-based drug, then you could give it

bsAbs to increase their half-life in vivo without the

right away, instead of after the several weeks it takes

need for an Fc domain.

to develop an individualized CAR T-cell therapy; that
would be a big benefit to the patient. "
Amunix has developed a new format of bispecific
T-cell engagers that can be delivered in a low
dose with lower toxicity using XTEN technology,
an alternative to PEGylation. " The T-cell engager, "

" XTEN has evolved into kind of a Lego kit for
pharmaceuticals, " Schellenberger notes. " It allows
us to make very complex molecules which by other
means we just couldn't produce. "
The company's lead XTENylated bsAb, AMX-268,
is in preclinical development. It is a T-cell engager

Amunix has used its XTEN platform to develop protease triggered immune activator (ProTIA) molecules. These are
bispecific T-cell activators that are designed to outperform other bispecific formats with respect to characteristics such
as half-life and safety. An early ProTIA prototype molecule, one that incorporated Amgen's MT110, allowed Amunix to
demonstrate the ProTIA format's advantages. Amunix is now replacing the Amgen-specific portions of the prototype to
generate additional ProTIA molecules.

GENengnews.com

| 21

http://www.GENengnews.com

Origene_Jan2021_ProperAntibodyDesignKeeps

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Origene_Jan2021_ProperAntibodyDesignKeeps