As part of the Infrastructure and Technology programme, Oncode started a collaborative project together with Oncode Investigator Linde Meyaard (UMCU) and Jeanette Leusen (head of the Utrecht Monoclonal Antibody Facility (UMab)) with the goal of being able to offer Oncode Investigators the opportunity to produce high quality antibodies (targeted against membrane proteins). Oncode is now looking to fund a total of 4 Oncode Investigators to develop monoclonal antibodies potentially suited for clinical applications in oncology, directed against their membrane target of choice.
‘The UMab facility has developed a unique method to generate high affinity antibodies to surface molecules’ says Jeanette Leusen, head of the facility. ‘Especially for the generation of new therapeutic antibodies this method is very helpful. We can also include cynomolgus monkey cross reactivity, and that’s convenient later in preclinical toxicity studies’ she explains.
UMab shares in Oncode’s mission. In Leusen’s words, UMab’s dream is ‘to develop as many therapeutic antibodies as needed to cure all forms of cancer’, and here is where collaboration plays a vital role. ‘We could never do this by ourselves, collaboration with experts in the field is essential. And we love to collaborate with the Oncode community’.
A project for generating Ab’s against 1 target would take between 6 and 9 months, from cDNA of the target protein to hybriodomas. For sequencing the best hybridomas and producing them as chimerized antibodies, another 2-3 months are needed.
And once the antibodies are ready, there are some next steps the Oncode Investigator together with UMab can take towards bringing them to the clinic. ‘We can produce the antibodies up to the chimerized format – and that means they are mostly human but still some part is mouse. All steps mentioned above is potentially funded by Oncode.
For full humanisation, the investigator would need to go to a CRO’ says Leusen. ‘Furthermore, preclinical experiments are needed to show the effectivity of the new antibody/antibodies in reducing tumor outgrowth. Also, off-target activity needs to be assessed, and tox studies in non-human primates. Finally, GMP production of the selected lead antibody is required for Phase I/II clinical trials in real patients’ she adds. These steps are, of course, complicated, and potentially time consuming, which is why the Oncode business developers are ready to assist and advice during all the stages of the process.
In order to be eligible for the Oncode Therapeutic Antibody project (OTA), projects must:
- Aim to fill a clearly described unmet medical need in oncology.
- · Have a sound scientific background.
- Contain a suitable membrane target.
- · Have personnel available to execute validation experiments and that can actively participate in discussions and the production process.
The deadline for submitting a proposal is the 11th of August.
Applications and question on the Oncode Therapeutic Antibody Facility project can be sent directly to [email protected].