AdAlta (ASX:1AD), a company specialising in the discovery and development of protein-based therapeutics, and Crossbeta Biosciences, a company with technology for therapeutic and diagnostic use in neurodegenerative disorders, have announced a commercialisation agreement.
Under the terms of the agreement, Crossbeta has been granted an exclusive license to three beta-amyloid oligomer (AßO)-specific shark antibodies, identified under the collaboration signed between AdAlta and Crossbeta in December 2013.
"These shark antibodies are considered to have immediate and highly disease-specific potential for the diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease," said the companies.
AdAlta will receive royalties on future revenues from successful commercialisation of the AßO-specific shark antibodies as novel therapeutics or diagnostic agents. All ongoing R&D as well as commercialisation will be managed by Crossbeta.
The three licensed anti-AßO antibodies bind specifically to the disease-relevant AßO preparation, but, do not recognise or bind to the monomer and fibrils of the beta-amyloid protein.
According to AdAlta CEO, Samantha Cobb, “Crossbeta’s novel and unique oligomer-stabilisation technology enabled us to identify Alzheimer’s disease-specific shark single domain antibodies with highly valuable differential binding properties. The long loop of the shark single domain antibody (or i-body) binds to unusual epitopes with high affinity and specificity, as demonstrated with our lead candidate to a GPCR and previous targets and, most recently, in this instance with Crossbeta’s AßOs. This licensing deal fits with our strategy to focus on the i-body platform and our lead candidate in fibrosis and we believe that Crossbeta with its strong position in the therapeutic area of Alzheimer's is the right partner to realize the potential of these novel antibodies.”
Crossbeta Biosciences CEO, Guus Scheefhals, said: “We are very pleased with the outcome of our collaborative agreement with AdAlta, exploiting the promising characteristics of our AßOs to the future benefit of the Alzheimer’s field and patients. We will now move forward with developing these novel anti-AßO antibodies as potential treatments of real disease-modification potential and diagnostic use, as early in the disease as possible, for the benefit of Alzheimer’s patients."
Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia, primarily affecting people above the age of 60. Alzheimer’s disease affects about 1 in 10 people over 65 years, and more than 1 in 4 people over 85 years.