On March 31, 2023 iBio, Inc. (NYSEA:IBIO) ("iBio" or the "Company"), an AI-driven innovator of precision antibody immunotherapies, reported the progression of its anti-CCR8 antibody immuno-oncology program into preclinical in vivo testing (Press release, iBioPharma, MAR 31, 2023, View Source [SID1234629660]). CCR8, a member of the G protein-coupled receptor ("GPCR") family, is expressed by T-regulatory cells ("Tregs") that play a crucial role in inducing immunosuppression across various cancer types.
Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:
Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing
Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!
GPCRs are one of the most successful therapeutic target classes, with approximately one-third of all approved drugs targeting these proteins.1 Compared to small molecule-based GPCR drugs, antibody-based GPCR therapeutics potentially offer several potential advantages, including superior selectivity, extended mechanisms of action, and longer half-life. However, GPCRs are intricate, multi-membrane spanning receptors, making clinically relevant regions difficult to identify and target.
iBio employed its patented AI epitope steering platform in the discovery of anti-CCR8 molecules to overcome certain challenges associated with developing antibody-based GPCR-targeting therapeutics. iBio’s anti-CCR8 antibody is designed to selectively deplete Tregs, thereby allowing the immune system to effectively destroy cancer cells, without binding to CCR8’s closest neighbor, CCR4, significantly reducing the potential for adverse effects and safety issues associated with non-selective CCR8 antibodies.
Expressing his enthusiasm for the Company’s latest pipeline advancement, Martin Brenner, DVM, Ph.D., iBio’s Interim Chief Executive Officer and Chief Scientific Officer, commented, "Selective targeting of CCR8 shows our patented AI technology can successfully be applied to one of the most important drug target classes, and potentially allows us to pursue a range of other high-value GPCR targets in the future. We are pleased to be able to now move our anti-CCR8 molecules into in vivo testing."
Dillon Phan, PhD, iBio’s VP and Head of Early Research & Development, added, "We are thrilled to expand our Treg depletion franchise through our new anti-CCR8 program, which complements our existing IBIO-101 program. IBIO-101 is an anti-CD25 antibody designed to selectively bind and deplete Tregs in the tumor microenvironment without compromising immunostimulatory interleukin 2, or IL2, signaling to other T cells, thereby generating strong anti-tumor responses. We look forward to F. Hoffmann-La Roche’s anticipated presentation of clinical data for its IL2-sparing anti-CD25 antibody, RG6292, at the 2023 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting in April, which we believe may validate IBIO-101 as a potential ‘fast-follower.’"