YUMAB and ISAR Bioscience aim to overcome the blood-brain barrier
New collaboration targets non-invasive CNS therapies for Alzheimer’s and other conditions
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YUMAB GmbH and ISAR Bioscience GmbH announced their collaboration to develop a novel transferrin receptor (TfR) specific antibody for the delivery of biotherapeutics across the blood brain barrier (BBB).
The collaboration combines the complementary expertise and technologies of both companies. ISAR Bioscience focus on developing innovative therapies for (neuro-)degenerative and immune diseases. The company leverages advanced platforms, including induced pluripotent stem cell technology and RNA-based therapeutics, to address unmet medical needs. YUMAB has 14 years of industry experience and supported more than 650 projects in antibody discovery, engineering and manufacturing.
YUMAB and ISAR Bioscience share a common vision of overcoming the restrictive nature of the BBB to enable more effective treatments for diseases of the central nervous system (CNS). The BBB is a highly selective biological barrier that tightly regulates the transport of molecules between the blood stream and the brain. While this barrier protects the CNS from invading toxins, pathogens, drugs and other unwanted macromolecules, it also severely limits the delivery of therapeutic agents. As a result, many CNS targeted therapies reach the brain in insufficient quantities and, therefore, require invasive administration routes to achieve therapeutic concentrations.
A natural transport mechanism across the BBB is a receptor-mediated transcytosis via the transferrin receptor, which usually mediates the transport of iron into the brain. YUMAB and ISAR Bioscience will join forces to exploit this physiological pathway and develop a platform based on a TfR-specific antibody capable of transporting a broad range of cargos across the BBB enabling a non-invasive transport of agents into the CNS.
“We’re excited about this collaboration which represents an important opportunity to further validate the capabilities of our antibody discovery platform in a highly innovative therapeutic field,” said Dr. Thomas Schirrmann, CEO, YUMAB. "Combining our expertise in antibody engineering with ISAR Bioscience's strengths in CNS biology and translational medicine creates an excellent foundation for developing novel delivery solutions for patients with neurological diseases."
“The transport of therapeutic antibodies is key to developing successful Alzheimer’s drugs” said Dr. Miriam Christlmeier, head of ISAR Bioscience’s neurodegeneration team. “We are happy to team up with the experienced YUMAB team to achieve this goal,” adds Prof. Martin Lohse, CEO of ISAR Bioscience. “This will be a perfectly synergistic collaboration”.
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Antibodies are specialized molecules of our immune system that can specifically recognize and neutralize pathogens or foreign substances. Antibody research in biotech and pharma has recognized this natural defense potential and is working intensively to make it therapeutically useful. From monoclonal antibodies used against cancer or autoimmune diseases to antibody-drug conjugates that specifically transport drugs to disease cells - the possibilities are enormous
Topic world Antibodies
Antibodies are specialized molecules of our immune system that can specifically recognize and neutralize pathogens or foreign substances. Antibody research in biotech and pharma has recognized this natural defense potential and is working intensively to make it therapeutically useful. From monoclonal antibodies used against cancer or autoimmune diseases to antibody-drug conjugates that specifically transport drugs to disease cells - the possibilities are enormous