IONTAS and Adaptate Biotherapeutics collaborate to identify optimised antibodies for novel cancer targets

IONTAS, a leader in the discovery and optimisation of fully human antibodies, announced it has entered into a collaboration agreement with Adaptate Biotherapeutics, developers of antibody-based therapeutics for modulation of gamma delta T-cells.

The agreement is to generate and optimise antibodies for novel immuno-oncology targets, including access to IONTAS’ proprietary Mammalian Display technology to select antibodies with optimal biophysical properties.

IONTAS’ proprietary technology enables the construction of large libraries of stable cell lines displaying human antibodies on their surface. As well as generating an abundance of therapeutic antibody leads, the technology also addresses “developability” issues early in discovery; increasing the likelihood of successful progress through the development process.

Under the terms of the collaboration, the project provides Adaptate Biotherapeutics with access to IONTAS’ proprietary Mammalian Display technology, allowing the selection of high affinity antibodies based on their function, stability, expression and developability thereby facilitating a speedy transition through Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls (CMC) and eventual manufacturing.

Dr John McCafferty, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of IONTAS, commented: “Recently spun out of GammaDelta Therapeutics, Adaptate Biotherapeutics is already a leading company in the field of gamma delta T cell therapeutics and it is a privilege to be working with such an innovative team. This collaboration is further validation of our platform, including our Mammalian Display technology, and adds to an expanding portfolio of partners that enjoy the benefit of combining selection for affinity with developability during the initial steps of drug discovery. Subsequently, the resulting panels of “developable” antibodies facilitate manufacture and reduce the risk of delays and potential product failure by detecting and avoiding problematic clones at the outset. Our aim is to ensure the right lead is selected first time, every time.”

Dr Natalie Mount, Chief Executive Officer of Adaptate Biotherapeutics, said: “IONTAS has developed an impressive track record in delivering therapeutic antibodies. We selected them as our partner because of their extensive experience in overcoming antibody project challenges using their industry-leading platforms. We anticipate that the combination of IONTAS’ antibody discovery capabilities and our innovative approach to gamma delta T cell-targeted therapeutics will facilitate the accelerated entry of our oncology portfolio to the clinic.”