The collaboration is expected to deliver a drug candidate, a first in class humanised anti-midkine antibody, using Cellmid’s patented sequence and Antitope’s proprietary EpiScreen and Composite Human Antibody technologies.
Under the agreement, Antitope is expected to generate sufficient humanized antibody for preclinical testing using their proprietary CHO expression system.
Cellmid CEO Maria Halasz said they have conducted a global search to find the right humanisation partner for the anti-midkine assets.
Antitope chief scientific officer and co-founder Matthew Baker said they are excited about the prospects for Cellmid’s therapeutic antibody against midkine and believe the development of fully humanized, non-immunogenic Composite Human Antibodies will support the development of safe and effective therapies.