If developed as a biopharmaceutical, this improved, highly stable version of IFN-gamma would allow less frequent injections of the drug.
The novel molecules, developed using Nautilus’ proprietary technology for protein improvement, are single mutants of IFN-gamma. They show significantly higher resistance to blood and intestinal proteases, while maintaining the native level of biological activity.
IFN-gamma is currently marketed for the treatment of chronic granulomatous disease and malignant osteopetrosis, and is in clinical trials for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, certain forms of cancer and tuberculosis.
“Achieving higher stability is a key objective for the improvement of IFN-gamma, as it will increase the half-life of the molecule in the body and decrease the frequency of repeat treatments. This is one of the most important clinical criteria for any next generation IFN-gamma,” said Nautilus CEO, Manuel Vega.