AnaptysBio Expands Immunotherapy Portfolio With Anti-PD-1 Antibody Combinations

SAN DIEGO, Aug. 29, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- AnaptysBio, Inc., a leader in the discovery and development of therapeutic antibodies, today announced the expansion of its proprietary immunotherapy antibody portfolio to include multiple new combination therapies.  Using its SHM-XEL platform, the Company has recently developed a proprietary anti-PD-1 antibody, known as ANB011, with key differentiating advantages over competitors.  AnaptysBio is concurrently developing novel antibodies against other immune checkpoint receptors, including TIM-3 and LAG-3, which may be applied in combination with ANB011. 

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Antibodies to immune checkpoint receptors have recently demonstrated promise in the treatment of various solid tumors, including metastatic melanoma, renal cell carcinoma and non-small cell lung cancer.  Although the normal function of immune checkpoint receptors is to maintain immune homeostasis, they are co-opted by certain tumors to evade immune surveillance.  By blocking the interaction of PD-1, TIM-3 and LAG-3 with their respective ligands, AnaptysBio's immunotherapy portfolio aims to restore immune function in cancer patients across a variety of tumor types.   These antibodies may also be combined with small molecule kinase inhibitors for additional anti-tumor activity.    

In addition to the immunotherapy portfolio described above, AnaptysBio has utilized its SHM-XEL platform to develop a novel antibody pipeline, including programs for pustular psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, muscle wasting disorders, fibrosis and antibody drug conjugate applications.

"We believe combination immunotherapy is an exciting paradigm in oncology and has the potential to provide durable anti-tumor effects for a broad range of patients," said Hamza Suria, president & chief executive officer of AnaptysBio. "Our SHM-XEL platform has permitted us to rapidly generate high potency antibodies against multiple immune checkpoint receptors." 

About AnaptysBio

AnaptysBio is a privately-held company focused on the generation of antibody therapeutics and is the leader in the use of somatic hypermutation (SHM) for antibody discovery and optimization. We are developing a pipeline of novel therapeutic antibody candidates, including differentiated programs in cancer immunotherapy, inflammation, fibrosis, muscle wasting disorders and antibody-drug conjugate applications.  AnaptysBio's proprietary SHM-XEL™ platform, which couples fully human antibody libraries with in vitro somatic hypermutation in mammalian cells to generate high affinity antibodies, replicates key features of the human immune system and overcomes limitations of prior antibody technologies.  By harnessing the natural mechanism of antibody maturation under controlled conditions, SHM-XEL allows for the selection of optimal antibody properties such as high affinity, stability, function, cross-reactivity, epitope diversity and manufacturability. The Company has previously announced partnerships with Merck, Roche, Novartis, Celgene, Gilead, DARPA and DTRA.  Major investors in AnaptysBio include Alloy Ventures, Avalon Ventures, Frazier Healthcare Ventures and Novo A/S.  For more information, visit www.anaptysbio.com.

Contacts:
Julie Rathbun
[email protected]
206-769-9219

SOURCE AnaptysBio, Inc.