Avid Bioservices Inc (CDMO)

[goodJohnhunting]

Bavituximabx2

To follow up on Bavituximab's future.. There is only one direction that makes any since, so I will follow up on my last post.

Monoclonal antibodies are not effective against intracellular antigens. I just posted about this, "The relative lack of high avidity T cell receptors are a major reason why immune responses towards tumor antigens are often non-protective". Basically, if you want a vaccine, or lasting therapeutic effect there must be a target of tumor-specific antigen, or a monoclonal T-cell receptor, and Bavituximab has neither. But don't be discouraged, because all monoclonal mab's lack the fore mentioned scenario.

Like entdoc mentioned, Bavituximab is naked, and limitations are the result. Here's a quote from entdoc which leads to my prediction into Bavituximab's future.

With well established large cancers we cannot send in a missile to cruise the area and recruit immune-fighter into the area

In order for this to happen Bavituximab needs to be armed, or escort the following molecular fragments:

1) Bi-specific T-cell engagers
2) single-chain variable fragment

Arming or escorting either of these molecules would solve the problem that I mentioned above (bold). If you doubt me, the proof is in a recent partnership between Immunocore and Genentech. It's more than ironic that my post was before this press release, and I will guarantee that this is the future for Bavituximab. It will happen!

(Oxford, UK, 27 June 2013) Immunocore Limited, the Oxford-based biotechnology company developing novel biological drugs known as ImmTACs to treat cancer and viral disease, today announced that it has entered into a research collaboration and licensing agreement with Genentech, a member of the Roche Group (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) for the discovery and development of multiple novel cancer targets using Immunocore’s ImmTAC technology.

Under the terms of the agreement, Immunocore will receive an initiation fee of between $10 and $20 million per programme and is eligible to receive in excess of $300 million in development and commercial milestone payments for each target programme and significant tiered royalties.

Immunocore has created a world-leading platform of bi-specific biological drugs, called ImmTACs, which exploit the power of T Cell Receptors (TCRs) to recognise intracellular changes that occur during cancer or viral infection. This unique recognition ability of TCRs sets them apart from traditional antibody-based therapies that can only recognise changes on the surface of cells, and provides, for the first time, the ability to develop extremely potent targeted therapies for cancers that are currently poorly served. A particular feature is that the ImmTACs can be directed to target and destroy only the cancerous cells, avoiding damage to healthy cells.

http://www.immunocore.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/genentech_press_release_27_06_2013.pdf