- Commit Biologics is pioneering a novel approach to activating the complement component of the immune system to treat cancer and autoimmune diseases
- Poster to be presented on Commit’s Bispecific Complement Engaging (BiCE™) platform
AARHUS, Denmark, June 10, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Commit Biologics (“Commit”), a pioneer in the activation of the complement system to treat cancer and autoimmune disease, today announces it will present a poster containing key data on its Bispecific Complement Engaging (BiCE™) platform at the 16th International Conference on Complement Therapeutics, which is being held in Loutraki, Ancient Corinth, Greece, on June 11-16, 2024.
Details of the presentation
Poster Title: BiCE™ – An antibody platform to potentiate complement activation for the treatment of cancer and autoimmune diseases
Presenter: Dr Nick S. Laursen, Chief Scientific Officer and Co-Founder of Commit Biologics
The data will reveal optimization of the BiCE™ platform and show that Commit’s second-generation BiCE™ molecules induce superior complement-mediated cell killing compared to other technologies. With a novel mechanism of action, Commit’s technology has the potential to be developed into best-in-class therapeutics for the treatment of cancer and autoimmune diseases.
The complement system is part of the body’s immune system that has previously been largely untapped for therapeutic purposes. Commit has built a novel Bispecific Complement Engaging (BiCE™) platform to arm validated antibodies and activate the complement system to selectively kill cancer cells or cells that drive autoimmune diseases. Commit’s BiCE™ platform uses bispecific single domain antibodies, where one arm recognizes the complement protein C1q and the other arm recognizes a selected target, such as a cancer-specific antigen. These bispecific engagers efficiently recruit C1, leading to potent complement activation.
Nick Laursen, Chief Scientific Officer and Co-Founder of Commit Biologics, said: “We are excited to be presenting Commit’s unique approach to activating complement for therapeutic purposes and to highlight the tremendous potential of our innovative BiCE™ platform to harness the immune system in a different way to tackle cancer and autoimmune disease.”
Krishna Polu, MD, Chief Executive Officer of Commit Biologics, said: “Having officially come out of stealth just a few weeks ago, it’s great to have the opportunity now to showcase our novel BiCE™ platform to fellow complement system experts and to our peers who are developing therapeutics in the field of complement. We believe our approach represents a powerful new way of engaging the complement system to tackle a broad range of diseases.”
The 16th International Conference on Complement Therapeutics brings together academic and industry leaders to share new data and discuss the latest developments in therapeutic design, clinical trials, and complement-driven pathophysiology in emerging indications.
About Commit Biologics
Commit Biologics (Commit) is a pioneer in activating the complement system to kill specific target cells, with applications in cancers and autoimmune diseases. Spun out of Aarhus University, and building on more than three decades of research, Commit’s Bispecific Complement Engaging (BiCE™) platform can supercharge a conventional monoclonal antibody to activate the complement system more effectively. This is achieved by combining single domain antibodies that engage C1q, the starting point for the complement activation cascade, with an antibody that binds to a cellular target. The modular approach of the BiCE™ technology can be used to develop therapeutics across multiple tumor-associated antigens and immune cell targets. Complement is a largely untapped aspect of the body’s natural immune system that leverages both the direct cytolytic activity of complement along with its ability to bridge recruitment and activation of both innate and adaptive immune cells – a new approach to killing cells which can be used in combination or on a standalone basis. Commit is backed by major investors including Bioqube Ventures and Novo Holdings.
About the complement system
The complement system is part of the body’s immune system that has previously been largely untapped therapeutically. The activation of the classical complement pathway, which has a role in health for pathogen defense, begins with the engagement of C1q to antibodies that coat the cell surface and ends with the activation of a cytolytic complement complex directly leading to cell lysis. However, current monoclonal antibodies developed for therapeutic purposes have structural restraints that hinder effective engagement to C1q, thus limiting complement mediated cytotoxicity and other complement mediated effector functions. This, plus the presence of natural cell bound complement inhibitors that are upregulated in cancer, and low target densities, make conventional therapeutic antibodies poor complement activators. Commit’s BiCE™ technology was developed to overcome these barriers, to harness the power of the complement system and direct it towards tumor and immune cells for therapeutic applications. Unleashing this power in a highly targeted way with Commit’s technology potentially allows for a broad therapeutic index and the development of highly effective treatments.
SOURCE Commit Biologics
