The compound is a tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) antagonist for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) derived from Borean’s proprietary C-Type Lectin Domain (CTLD) library of therapeutic proteins.
The study was conducted with transgenic mice expressing human TNF, which results in them developing polyarthritis at three to four weeks of age. Treatment with Borean’s compound resulted in a slowing of disease progression that was significantly different from controls and equivalent to Centocor’s Remicade, a treatment already marketed for arthritis.
Borean has already established preclinical basic biosafety, pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution profile for its CTLD-derived products.
Dr Johanna Holldack, Borean’s CEO said: “This is the first preclinical validation of a therapeutic product derived from our technology platform. We believe that this CTLD derived TNF-alpha antagonist offers a cost-effective antibody analogue that will be easier to manufacture than existing antibody therapies for rheumatoid arthritis.”