Argen-X Launches NHance™ Technology to Generate Better Human Antibody Therapies

ROTTERDAM, the Netherlands and GHENT, Belgium, March 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

ADDS A SECOND PROPRIETARY TECHNOLOGY TO LEVERAGE THE POWER OF THE SIMPLE ANTIBODY™ PLATFORM  

arGEN-X announces today the launch of NHance™, its latest cutting-edge technology enabling the creation of truly differentiated human antibody therapeutics.

NHance™ technology significantly prolongs the circulation time of therapeutic antibodies in the human body by engineering of the antibody constant region (Fc). The technology provides a new treatment paradigm in terms of reduced antibody dosing, increased efficacy and improved overall convenience to the patient.

Nhance™ is superior to existing Fc engineering approaches delivering superior pharmacokinetics without impairing the antibody's Fc-mediated cell-killing effects. The technology has been thoroughly validated, including through PK studies in appropriate pre-clinical models.

NHance™ is based on proprietary Fc region mutations and was invented by Dr. Sally Ward, Professor of Immunology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, a world renowned pioneer in this field of antibody biology. arGEN-X has acquired an exclusive global license to the technology.

arGEN-X will apply the NHance™ technology both to its partners' antibody discovery programs and to its own therapeutic antibody pipeline. In addition, arGEN-X intends to make the technology available to antibody-focused companies through non-exclusive licenses.

"Our validated SIMPLE Antibody™ platform, which delivers variable regions unrivalled in their functional diversity and therapeutic utility, is key to arGEN-X's success," says Prof. Dr. Hans de Haard, Chief Scientific Officer. "We had previously complemented the SIMPLE platform with state-of-the-art ADCC-enhancement through our Potelligent^® license agreement with BioWa. We are now further strengthening our cutting-edge capabilities with NHance™ to ensure the optimal differentiation of our antibody products. This suite of technologies underpins our evolution into a real therapeutic antibody powerhouse."

Dr. Torsten Dreier, Chief Development Officer of arGEN-X, comments further: "I am thrilled by the therapeutic potential of NHance™, which delivers increased efficacy in settings where sustained antibody dosing is critically important. NHance™ is a great solution for improving the dosing convenience for chronically ill patients as well as maximizing the cost-effectiveness of therapeutic antibody treatments."

About arGEN-X - http://www.arGEN-X.com

arGEN-X is a preclinical stage biopharmaceutical company that is rapidly leveraging the power of its broadly applicable, proprietary SIMPLE Antibody™ platform to generate fully human antibodies with differentiated qualities and outstanding therapeutic potential. The platform excels in delivering large panels of ultra-potent, functionally diverse antibodies against complex disease targets, especially cell surface receptors and highly conserved proteins. The superior choice that arGEN-X brings to antibody discovery enables it to prioritise leads with best-in-class therapeutic properties, thereby increasing the probability of development success. Antibody leads generated from the SIMPLE Antibody™ platform have outstanding physicochemical properties and consistent manufacturability, enabling a seamless transition from discovery into development. arGEN-X has validated its technology on multiple diverse classes of targets to date and has successfully delivered in its collaboration with Eli Lilly & Co. Recently, arGEN-X entered into a second strategic alliance with the specialty biopharmaceutical company Shire which is focused on the discovery and development of therapeutics for rare diseases.

In addition, arGEN-X is applying the NHance™ and Potelligent^® technologies to further maximize the therapeutic utility of its SIMPLE Antibodies.

About NHance™

NHance™is an arGEN-X proprietary technology capable of enhancing the half life of a therapeutic antibody in the human systemic circulation. NHance™ achieves this through 2 specific mutations in the antibody Fc region (at His433 and Asn434), resulting in an improved affinity at acidic pH for the antibody for binding to the neonatal Fc receptor. This receptor is responsible for recycling the antibody within the human body. Enhanced antibody serum levels may result in a higher therapeutic effect of this antibody, lower material requirements of the antibody for the same therapeutic effect, and/or reduced dosing frequency of the antibody. The technology may further enhance the transport across the mucosal barrier, enabling alternative routes of antibody administration.

The SIMPLE Antibody™ and NHance™ platforms are covered by broad patent claims, enjoying an independent, unencumbered patent position and are free of target gatekeeping restrictions.

SIMPLE stands for Superior Immunodiversity with Minimal Protein Lead Engineering.

arGEN-X™, SIMPLE Antibody™ and NHance™ are deposited trademarks of arGEN-X BV.

Potelligent^® is a deposited trademark of Biowa Inc.

For licensing inquiries about NHance™, please contact
Business.Development@arGEN-X.com 


For further information, please contact:
Citigate Dewe Rogerson
David Dible
Mark Swallow
Nina Enegren
T: +44(0)207-282-2949/2948/1050
E: david.dible@citigatedr.co.uk

arGEN-X
Tim Van Hauwermeiren, MSc, eMBA
Chief Executive Officer
T: +31-6-122-85-257
E: tim.vh@arGEN-X.com

Debbie Allen, Ph.D.
Senior Director, Business Development

T: +44(0)7974-979479
E: dallen@arGEN-X.com