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YM Biosciences and NRC Biotechnology Research Institute Produce New Breast Cancer Drug Candidates

14 Dec 2009 - YM BioSciences Inc. announced the first results of a collaborative program between YM and the National Research Council of Canada's Biotechnology Research Institute (NRC-BRI). Utilizing YM's IntelliMab(TM) technology, the program is designed to generate novel antibodies that target cell surface receptors associated with cancer, uniquely optimized to produce efficacy with reduced toxicities. The first successfully designed and delivered products from the collaboration are a number of antibodies that bind to HER2/neu-over-expressing breast cancer cells while minimally binding to HER2 on normal cardiac cells. The lead candidate antibody for conjugation is in the final stages of selection from that number.
 
"This is a new generation of rationally designed antibodies that bind to HER2/neu on cancer cells to an extent similar to that seen with trastuzumab (HerceptinŽ, Genentech/Roche) but are distinguished from trastuzumab by their minimal targeting of HER2 on cardiac cells, which is expected to result in reduced collateral cardiac toxicity," said David Allan, Chairman and CEO of YM BioSciences. "The improved specificity of these anti-HER2 antibodies makes them amenable to conjugation with highly potent toxins which would permit the selected IntelliMab anti-HER2/neu conjugate antibody to be an important competitor to Trastuzumab-DM1 (Genentech/Immunogen)."
 
The collaborative program is a multi-target, parallel-discovery research project funded by YM and NRC-BRI to develop YM's IntelliMab(TM) technology, a proprietary platform for generating new therapeutic antibodies that are designed to be as effective as, but safer than the current generation of antibodies. Collateral toxicity is an important challenge for numerous antibodies that indiscriminately target receptor in normal tissues as well as in the intended cancer cells. Furthermore, these antibodies are expected to be ideal candidates for delivering potent toxins to cancer cells. Depending on the cancer target selected, IntelliMab(TM) antibodies will be developed as naked antibodies and/or antibody conjugates. The YM team is led by Mr. Sean Thompson, Vice President of Strategic Projects and Corporate Development, who is collaborating with Dr. Maureen O'Connor, Leader of the NRC Genomics and Health Initiative Cancer Program.