Engineering of Bispecific Antibodies and Multi-Specific Non-Antibody Scaffolds

WEDNESDAY, 11TH MARCH 2020 18:45 - 21:30

Mathieu Cinier, PhD, Scientific Director, Affilogic

Mattias Levin, PhD, Senior Scientist, Antibody Engineering, Alligator Bioscience AB

Course Description:

This interactive short course will give a comprehensive overview of the considerations to make when developing a bispecific antibody. This includes a review of the plethora of formats developed to date as well as discussions on how the architecture of the bispecific format can affect its biological functions. It will also cover the many challenges, often in terms of developability, that these formats frequently are accompanied with. An overview on existing non antibody scaffold technologies will also be reviewed. Challenges in their development will be discussed together with their pros and cons regarding antibody-based therapeutics. Applications and therapeutic needs that are targeted with non-antibody scaffolds will be also addressed, highlighting the diversity of formats currently in development. Eventually, take home messages will be given over the review of several case studies.

Detailed Agenda:

18:45 Part One: Bispecific Antibodies – A review of opportunities, challenges and achievements

Mattias Levin, PhD, Senior Scientist, Antibody Engineering, Alligator Bioscience AB

The landscape of bispecific antibodies is continuously expanding and numerous formats with distinct properties are available to fit the exact need of the biological setting to be targeted. Bispecific antibodies are immensely attractive as they expand the therapeutic potential of antibodies by allowing for novel biological functions. Format differences such as target binding valency, binding affinity and Fc receptor interaction will have a strong effect on the biological function of developed bispecific antibody.

What you will learn:

• Possible strategies to create bispecific molecules
• General overview of bispecific formats
• Development challenges: manufacturability and developability
• Modes of action enabled by bispecific antibodies
• Case studies of bispecific antibodies from discovery, clinical studies and approved drugs
• Examples covering different formats and supporting different modes of action

19:45 Break for Dinner

20:15 Part Two: Non-Antibody Multi-Functional Scaffolds

Mathieu Cinier, PhD, Scientific Director, Affilogic

Non-antibody scaffolds represent a new class of therapeutic molecules that fill a molecular weight gap between antibodies and peptides. While sharing the high specificity and potency of antibodies, their low molecular weight and simple structure make them amenable to peptide-like properties such as high tissue penetration. They are also easy to assemble, providing then a straightforward “plug and play” approach to combine active modules into a single molecule that displays the desired druglike properties. At the age of multi-functional therapeutic molecules, non-antibody scaffolds continue to rise with an increasing number of ongoing clinical phases, making them valuable assets in the landscape of next generation biologics.

In this interactive workshop, you will be provided with an overview on existing non antibody scaffold technologies. Challenges in their development will be discussed together with their pros and cons regarding antibody-based therapeutics. Applications and therapeutic needs that are targeted with non-antibody scaffolds will be also addressed, highlighting the diversity of formats currently in development. Eventually, take home messages will be given over the review of several case studies.

What you will learn:

• General overview on non-antibody scaffolds
• Existing scaffolds
• Pros and cons of non-antibody scaffolds: can they overcome antibody limitations?
• Alternative scaffold development challenges
• From single building blocks to multi-specific fit-for-purpose therapeutic leads
• Monospecific compounds
• Multispecific compounds
• Empowerment of antibodies
• Case studies
• Unfortunate development case
• Successful development case

Meet the instructors:

Mattias Levin, PhD, Senior Scientist, Antibody Engineering, Alligator Bioscience AB

I have a MSc in Biotechnology, obtained my Ph.D. in Immuno-technology from Lund University and joined Alligator Bioscience about 5 years ago. My work is primarily focused on the discovery of our new antibody-based drug candidates and bringing them from the benchtop into the clinic. I also work together with our strong team of scientist in a never-ending effort to improve our technology platform, a work that is an absolute necessity if we to be able to continue to develop competitive new drug candidates. This work has, among many other things, lead to the establishment of Alligators novel bsAb format RUBY™.

Mathieu Cinier, PhD, CSO, Affilogic

Affilogic is a privately-owned biotech company specialized in discovery and development of a novel class of protein therapeutics called Nanofitins. Since joining Affilogic in 2011, Dr. Mathieu Cinier successfully led 60+ Nanofitin generation programs for a wide range of applications, and Nanofitin-based biotherapeutics are currently being developed in collaboration with Sanofi, Takeda Pharmaceutical and other undisclosed international pharmaceutical companies. He also applied its extensive protein engineering knowledge to expand the potential of the Nanofitin technology and is now assuming the position of Scientific Director.