AnaptysBio Describes Technology for the Discovery and Optimization of Fully Human Antibodies in Original Research Publication

SAN DIEGO, Calif., Dec. 5, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- AnaptysBio, Inc., a privately-held therapeutic antibody company, today announced the publication of original research describing the discovery of novel fully-human antibodies against human nerve growth factor (NGF) using AnaptysBio's SHM-XEL™ platform in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). 

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Entitled "Coupling Mammalian Cell Surface Display with Somatic Hypermutation for the Discovery and Maturation of Human Antibodies", Dr. David J. King, chief scientific officer of AnaptysBio, and colleagues describe the identification of multiple anti-NGF specific antibodies from AnaptysBio's proprietary fully-human antibody libraries followed by in vitro somatic hypermutation (SHM) in mammalian cells to generate low picomolar affinity lead candidates.   This platform methodology, known as SHM-XEL, replicates key features of the human immune system and overcomes key limitations of prior antibody technologies.  By reproducing the natural mechanism of antibody maturation under controlled conditions outside of the constraints of an in vivo environment, this platform allows selection of optimal antibody properties such as high affinity, functionality, cross-reactivity and epitope diversity.  The use of mammalian cell display permits AnaptysBio to also optimize manufacturing-related parameters by selecting for high-level expression and stability in parallel.  Simultaneous secretion of antibody variants by the mammalian cells utilized during SHM-XEL permits incorporation of functional assays in the antibody discovery process.   In addition to the "hot-spot" motif point mutations associated with SHM, this article also demonstrates that SHM-XEL further replicates the diversity of the immune system by mediating nucleotide insertions and deletions in the antibody variable domain.   

 "Our SHM-XEL platform uniquely combines in vitro SHM with mammalian cell display to overcome the technical limitations faced by traditional mouse administration and phage display methodologies," said Carol G. Gallagher, executive chairman of AnaptysBio. "We will continue to utilize this platform to discover novel antibodies for AnaptysBio's internal pipeline and with strategic partners looking to utilize our team and technology to expand their antibody discovery capabilities."

NGF has recently been validated as a therapeutic target for the treatment of various pain conditions associated with tissue injury and inflammation.  NGF leads to the activation of various intracellular pathways that enhance acute and chronic pain sensations.  Antagonism of NGF binding has been shown in animal and clinical studies as a potent treatment for pain.

About AnaptysBio

Founded in 2005, AnaptysBio, Inc. is a privately-held company focused on the generation of antibody therapeutics, and the leader in the use of somatic hypermutation (SHM) for antibody discovery and optimization. SHM is the body's natural process for generating potent antibodies. The Company's SHM-XEL™ platform couples SHM with mammalian cell display to generate antibodies for therapeutic applications through an iterative process of natural evolution and high-throughput selection under controlled conditions – a process that has been referred to as "naturalizing" antibodies. This versatile platform can be used for both discovery of new antibodies and optimization of existing antibodies to generate candidates with desired properties for therapeutic applications. AnaptysBio has established broad intellectual property around the use of SHM, and is currently building a pipeline of novel therapeutic antibody product candidates. Major investors in AnaptysBio include founding investor Avalon Ventures, as well as Alloy Ventures, Frazier Healthcare Ventures, and Novo A/S. For more information, visit www.anaptysbio.com.

SOURCE AnaptysBio, Inc.