HMGB1 is a nuclear DNA-binding protein, which is elevated in the body following infection or trauma and may be an important factor when developing therapeutics to treat these conditions.
Cornerstone received license for the HMGB1 technology from the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research as part of the exclusive license and collaboration agreement between Cornerstone and MedImmune that allowed MedImmune to use the technology in developing antibodies that bind to the HMGB1 protein to reduce chronic inflammation associated with various medical conditions.
Cornerstone claimed that HMGB1 is expressed much later in the inflammatory response and persists at elevated levels in the bloodstream for a longer period of time which contradicts the previously identified cytokines, such as interleukin-1 and TNF-alpha.
Cornerstone’s intellectual property portfolio and proof of concept achieved for two pre-clinical models with human anti-HMGB1 monoclonal antibodies allows this technology to be utilised to develop alternative therapies in diseases of sterile inflammation and in infection inflammation.
Craig Collard, president and CEO of Cornerstone, said: “We believe that reacquiring these rights is a low-risk, high-reward opportunity for Cornerstone.”