Replies to post #114542 on Biotech Values

[dewophile]

I also liked the comments around the 17 minute mark about MNTA's novel biologics. We haven't heard too much about this area before I don't believe. But, Wheeler effectively said that he expects MNTA to have scientific breakthroughs in the months ahead pertaining to MNTA's ability to design attributes of biologics. Then he simply said to "stay tuned." Sounds like another important iron in the fire may be on the horizon for MNTA

i too was intrigued by this comment. i've long known that their technology could be adapted to biobetters, but this was the first time i've heard the company hint we may hear something soon on this front. it obviously would be very early stage, but in the big picture could be where there is the most value generated, albeit this would be a longer term horizon

mnta is not about finding new targets, so these are some of the ways in which i think their expertise with carbohydrates and sructure-function analysis could be adapted to novel biologics (and i am sure there are others)

1. improved pk, ala aranesp and hyperglycosylated FSH to create long-acting versions of drugs much like pegylation
2. deglycosylated products which become inhibitors (e.g. HF treated LH becomes an antagonist when sugar moieties removed)
3. enhancing ADCC (e.g. via loweing fucosyl acid residues)
4. improving the SE profile - company has alluded to ths with their finding that CHO cells produce sugar moieties that have significant antigenic response (e.g. decreasing infusion reactions, etc.)