By binding with high specificity to cell surface antigens on double-positive target cells over single-positive normal tissue, these disruptive biotherapeutics can activate synergistic signalling pathways differentiating them from available mono-targeted therapies.1
In cancer, they can also activate immune cells, such as T cells, and redirect them to specifically eliminate tumour cells.1
Because of their potential to transform treatment regimens by targeting more than one disease pathway with a single agent, we have established a multispecific drug discovery platform which is fuelling our pipeline of novel, targeted medicines.
The platform can be customised with specific properties and mechanisms of action, for example for cancer immunotherapy, and to selectively target disease biology over healthy tissue, to reduce unwanted side effects to treatment.
By binding to a target expressed on cancer cells and to molecules on T cells, such as CD3 or CD8, T cell engagers activate T cells that are present in tumours but not capable of recognising cancer cells, and redirect their activity toward the tumour.
T cell engagers offer a new way to boost the patient’s immune system against cancer, by tapping into a larger pool of immune cells than traditional immunotherapies.
Building on our long history of protein engineering, we are advancing our proprietary multispecific molecules not only to develop novel cancer treatments, but also in other human diseases such as infectious diseases, chronic inflammatory diseases, cardiovascular diseases and beyond.