TECHNOLOGIES & PLATFORMS

Technologies & platforms

By investing in groundbreaking technologies & platforms, we aim to drive innovation within our pipeline and deliver better solutions to our patients.
The last two decades saw an unprecedented expansion in the study of human biology, with advances in human genetics, cancer genomics, stem cell biology, bioinformatics and systems biology all paving the way for new therapies. In the future, advances not only in medicinal chemistry but in areas such as protein engineering, antibody drug conjugates, bispecifics and immunotherapies will bring new targets into reach.
One way to enhance the therapeutic potential of antibodies is to combine, or “conjugate,” them with small molecule drugs, which enhances the antibody’s ability to target a specific antigen. Another way to boost the therapeutic potential of antibodies is to use a technology that allows the generation of a dual specific antibody to target two antigens (also called a dual-variable domain [DVD] antibody).

Innovative, targeted drug delivery

We are exploring several new methods for delivering medicines that are more precise and impactful. From reducing the effect of chemotherapy on healthy cells to opening new avenues for treating neurodegenerative diseases, our research on innovative, targeted drug delivery aims to change the way disease is treated.

Bispecifics

Our bispecific platform is a technology that holds great promise. In the past, this has been referred to as DVD platform. In fact, this platform is capable of producing a wide range of different bispecific formats and DVD is just a small portion. These bispecific formats have a broad range of protein binding and biologic characteristics. In oncology, we view our bispecific platform as a path to new biology rather than simply to combination therapy. For example, we are studying the uses of our bispecifics to enhance the performance of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs). In preclinical systems, we can show that a bispecific that binds to two portions of the same molecular target is taken up in the cancer cells better than a traditional ADC. This could deliver a greater toxin load, thereby enhancing efficacy. Similarly, a bispecific that binds to two molecular targets from the same cancer cell can be used to increase tumor specificity, allowing us to prosecute targets that had some degree of expression in normal tissue. With our bispecific platform, we are able to create a wide range of protein constructs, ultimately leading to new biology with different mechanisms of action.