Having a look through the AMEV website, prompted by tuck's incessant <g> questions. Some very on topic stuff. If they are good as they claim, then very interesting.
Our AMEsystem directed molecular evolution technology can be applied at any stage of the drug development process. In fact, we have achieved significant successes for our collaborators at each stage in the drug development process:
Discovery-Stage Candidates: Cell Matrix, a privately held biotechnology company, discovered two murine IgM monoclonal antibodies with the desired specifities, but with poor affinities. By applying our technology, we were able to class-switch these antibodies to IgG's, to humanize them and improve their affinities by over 100-fold while maintaining their specific biological characteristics of interest.
Products in Preclinical Development: Bristol-Myers Squibb had attempted unsuccessfully over a two-year period to improve its anti-CD40 antibody by applying rational drug design techniques. Through the application of our AMEsystem technology, we humanized and optimized this antibody in just four months, yielding an antibody with a 500-fold increased affinity for its target and a significantly reduced risk for causing an immune reaction.
Products in Clinical Trials: Second-generation Vitaxin demonstrated a 300% improvement in manufacturing yield and a 90% greater affinity for its target than first-generation Vitaxin. MedImmune initiated clinical trials with second-generation Vitaxin during 2001.
Currently Marketed, FDA-approved Products: We reengineered Synagis for MedImmune to create a significantly more potent anti-RSV monoclonal antibody (Numax) that MedImmune is expected to take into clinical trials during the 2001-2002 RSV season...
We have the unique capability to simultaneously humanize and optimize monoclonal antibodies. The goal of other approaches is to humanize while minimizing the loss of affinity and retaining the specificity of the original murine antibody. By contrast, our optimization approach focuses on enhancing affinity and specificity while simultaneously humanizing the antibody...
The feedback that we have received, which is consistent with our experience in this area, is that virtually all antibodies, even those that are currently sold or have been produced by phage display or transgenic mice, can be improved using our technology. For example, it is unlikely that the over 10-fold increase in potency that we achieved for MedImmune to create their next-generation anti-RSV product, Numax, could have been accomplished using either phage display or transgenic mice...
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