THOUSAND OAKS, Calif., Nov. 11, 2010 /PRNewswire/ — ImmunGene,
Inc., a privately held drug development company focused on targeted
antibody therapeutics with numerous anti-cancer functions built
into a single therapy, announced today that a profile of the
company and its pipeline is featured in the November 21 issue of
BioWorld Today in the NewCo section http://www.bioworld.com/.
The publication noted that, “ImmunGene is currently in advanced
partnership discussion with several biotech and pharma companies
for its payload… The firm’s approach involves fusing a monoclonal
antibody with a cytokine, initially interferon, for local delivery
to the tumor. Called a CmAb, the molecule can be aimed ‘directly
where we want it to go,’ (CEO Sanjay) Khare said.”
The addition of the cytokine means that: “‘…our CmAbs can do
more [than other antibody arming ADCs] since select cytokines are
associated with several desirable anti-tumor functions,’ he said.
CmAbs also are genetically engineered molecules, which could make
them simpler and cheaper to produce. ‘There’s no multistep
manufacturing process,’ Khare added.”
“Another benefit is that the CmAbs can be dosed at a very low
level and still be efficacious. ImmunGene’s researchers, for
example, have been able to limit interferon activity in CmAb to
one-one hundredth of the unfused IFN. By fusing it with an antibody
that binds only to tumor cells, that interferon dose is sufficient
to initiate cell death. ImmunGene’s lead CmAb candidate, IGN002, is
a third-generation antibody-fusion drug designed to target
CD20-positive tumors, initially going after non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
not treatable by Rituxan (rituximab, Genentech Inc./Roche AG and
Biogen Idec Inc.),” noted the BioWorld article.
Dr. Sanjay Khare, ImmunGene’s Chief Executive Officer said, “We
are pleased to receive recognition from a global biotech
publication for ImmunGene’s pipeline of next genera
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