Tag: Merus B.V.

Company News: ProBioGen and Merus Sign Deal on GlymaxX® ADCC Enhancement Technology

– GlymaxX® Manufacturing Technology Improves Bispecific Antibody Activity for Solid Tumor Treatment

ProBioGen AG and Merus B.V. today announced that the companies have signed a non-exclusive commercial option and license agreement on ProBioGen’s GlymaxX® fucose-engineering technology. Under the terms of the agreement, ProBioGen is granting Merus the non-exclusive right to use the GlymaxX® technology to enhance the ADCC (Antibody-Dependent Cell-Mediated Cytotoxicity) activity of one of its lead products, a bispecific anti-cancer antibody. The license is covering clinical development and production. Financial details have not been disclosed.

The GlymaxX® technology for the production of afucosylated antibodies and proteins is based on the stable integration of a heterologous enzyme into any antibody producer cell line, leading to the interference with the cells’ intracellular fucose biosynthesis pathway. As a unique feature differentiating it from other approaches, the GlymaxX® technology can be applied to both novel and already existing antibody producer cell lines and entire antibody expression and discovery platforms without negatively affecting their productivity. Moreover, it is simple, rapid, potent and universally applicable.

Company News: Merus Granted European Patent on MeMo®, a Transgenic Mouse for Generating the Building Blocks of Therapeutic Human Bispecific Antibodies

– Invention provides unique technology base for therapeutic human bispecific antibodies

– Full-length IgG format of bispecific antibodies facilitates standard manufacturing processes

Merus B.V., a biopharmaceutical company focusing on innovative antibody therapeutics, today announced that it has been granted a European patent on its MeMo® transgenic mouse for the generation of common light chain human antibodies. Using standard industry processes, MeMo®-derived common light chain antibodies can be manufactured in clonal cell lines to efficiently obtain full-length IgG human bispecific antibodies (branded as Biclonics™) for therapy.

“We are very pleased about this important patent as it underlines our unique approach to creating improved antibody therapeutics,” said Ton Logtenberg, CEO of Merus. “MeMo® is distinct from other transgenic mice for human antibodies because the common light chain facilitates co-expression of two antibodies in a single cell to generate functional bispecific antibodies. By screening thousands of bispecific antibodies in cell-based assays, antibody therapeutics with truly superior functional activities are efficiently identified. The full-length IgG format provides for using established, ‘off-the-shelve’ analytical and manufacturing processes which are already in place for therapeutic monoclonal antibodies.”

“This is a major accomplishment of Merus,” said Jason Avery, CBO of Merus. “The company has built an exceptional product and technology base for superior therapeutics that combine the benefits of full-length IgG monoclonal antibodies with the ability of simultaneously addressing multiple disease targets. MeMo® is a source of large panels of high quality human antibodies that may be used to rapidly identify bispecific antibody leads. We are offering biopharmaceutical companies worldwide a non-exclusive license to MeMo®. There are no target restrictions and license terms are flexible.”

Company News: Merus Secures €31 Million in Series B Round Extension

– Investment brings Series B to a total of €47.6 million

– Johnson & Johnson Development Corporation joins as new investor; receives board seat

Merus B.V., a biopharmaceutical company focusing on innovative human antibody therapeutics, today announced a €31 million (US$42 million) extension to its Series B financing round, bringing the total round to €47.6 million (US$65 million). Johnson & Johnson Development Corporation (JJDC) joined as a new investor along with existing investors Novartis Venture Fund, Pfizer Venture Investments, Bay City Capital, LSP (Life Sciences Partners), and Aglaia Oncology Fund. A representative of JJDC will join Merus’ Board of Directors. Merus will use the new funds to broaden its portfolio of pre-clinical programs for the treatment of cancer patients and to bring its lead programs into phase I clinical testing.

The investment of JJDC in Merus B.V. was announced at the launch of the Johnson & Johnson Innovation Centre in London today.

Earlier this year, Merus presented encouraging research and preclinical data of MCLA-117, a product candidate to treat acute myeloid leukemia, a disease with very poor long-term prognosis. MCLA-117 is based on Merus’ proprietary Biclonics™ ENGAGE platform and is currently in development.

Company News: Merus Presents Preclinical Data on its Novel Bispecific Antibody MCLA-117 at EHA 2013

– Clinical Candidate Designed for the Treatment of Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) –

Merus B.V., a biopharmaceutical company focusing on innovative human antibody therapeutics, has presented preclinical data on its antibody MCLA-117 at the Annual 18th Congress of the EHA 2013 (European Hematology Association) in Stockholm. The compound is being developed for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a disease with very poor long-term prognosis.

MCLA-117 activates the patient’s own immune system by simultaneously binding to the CLEC12A molecule expressed by AML tumor cells and the CD3 molecule expressed by T cells. CLEC12A is a myeloid differentiation antigen that is expressed on 90-95% of de novo and relapsed AML cases and is selectively expressed on leukemic stem cells.

Co-incubation of patients´ resting T cells and AML tumor cells via MCLA-117 resulted in efficient tumor cell lysis, i.e. the potent killing of cancerous AML cells. By introducing mutations in the heavy chain constant region CH2 domain, Merus was able to develop an antibody that in peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) assays prevented the release of non-specific, pro-inflammatory cytokines, while retaining its full capacity to induce T cell-mediated elimination of AML tumor cells.

The MCLA-117 antibody is based on Merus’ proprietary Biclonics™ ENGAGE platform. Human bispecific antibodies from this platform can be manufactured and administered like conventional, full-length IgG molecules, thereby providing for high yield, good stability and a long serum half-life.

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