Euro biotechs link up on cancer vaccines
the offspring of a marriage between two technologies developed at
European biotechnology companies Avidex and Active Biotech.
The two companies have formed a collaboration to bring together Avidex' tumour-targetting platform with Active's 'superantigen' technology. Superantigens are proteins that show a remarkably high ability to generate a response from a large number of T lymphocytes, one of the key cell types in the immune system.
Oxford, UK-based Avidex had developed a technology known as tumour antigen-specific human monoclonal T cell receptors (mTCRs). These receptors bind to antigen targets on the tumour cell in a manner analogous to monoclonal antibodies.
By combining the superantigen with the mTCR as a novel fusion protein, the two companies can bring together the targeting specificity of the mTCR with the proven ability of the superantigen to stimulate T cells to kill the target cancer cells. The two companies will work together to make and test these fusion proteins with the intention of creating unique and potent anti-cancer agents.
Tomas Leanderson, chief scientific officer of Active Biotech noted that the first of its superantigen-based therapeutics, TTS- CD3, is already in the clinic. This product is coupled with an antibody and is already achieving promising results from initial trials in patients with some of the most serious of cancers including renal cancer.
He noted that the agreement with Avidex will enable the two companies to extend the superantigen into areas where antibodies cannot penetrate. For example, mTCRs can be used to target intracellular antigens, such as NY-ESO and telomerase, that would escape detection by a conventional monoclonal antibody.
