arGEN-X launches NHance™ technology to generate better human antibody therapies
- Adds a secondproprietarytechnology to leverage the power of the SIMPLE Antibody™platform
Rotterdam, the Netherlands and Ghent, Belgium– arGEN-X announces today the launch of NHance™, its latest cutting-edge technology enabling the creation of truly differentiated human antibody therapeutics.
NHance™ technology significantly prolongs the circulation time of therapeutic antibodies in the human body by engineering of the antibody constant region (Fc). The technology provides a new treatment paradigm in terms of reduced antibody dosing, increased efficacy and improved overall convenience to the patient.
NHance™ is superior to existing Fc engineering approaches delivering superior pharmacokinetics without impairing the antibody’s Fc-mediated cell-killing effects. The technology has been thoroughly validated, including through PK studies in appropriate pre-clinical models.
NHance™ is based on proprietary Fc region mutations and was invented by Dr. Sally Ward, Professor of Immunology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, a world renowned pioneer in this field of antibody biology. arGEN-X has acquired an exclusive global license to the technology.
arGEN-X will apply the NHance™ technology both to its partners’ antibody discovery programs and to its own therapeutic antibody pipeline. In addition, arGEN-X intends to make the technology available to antibody-focused companies through non-exclusive licenses.
Our validated SIMPLE Antibody™ platform, which delivers variable regions unrivalled in their functional diversity and therapeutic utility, is key to arGEN-X’s success, says Prof. Dr. Hans de Haard, Chief Scientific Officer. We had previously complemented the SIMPLE platform with state-of-the-art ADCC-enhancement through our Potelligent® license agreement with BioWa. We are now further strengthening our cutting-edge capabilities with NHance™ to ensure the optimal differentiation of our antibody products. This suite of technologies underpins our evolution into a real therapeutic antibody powerhouse.
Dr. Torsten Dreier, Chief Development Officer of arGEN-X, comments further: I am thrilled by the therapeutic potential of NHance™, which delivers increased efficacy in settings where sustained antibody dosing is critically important. NHance™ is a great solution for improving the dosing convenience for chronically ill patients as well as maximizing the cost-effectiveness of therapeutic antibody treatments.