WOBURN, MA, USA I May 28, 2024 I Leveragen, Inc., a Boston-based early-stage biotech company developing next-generation genetic models for antibody discovery, announced today that it has entered into a multi-target commercial license agreement with 92Bio, Inc., a biotech firm focused on the development of therapeutic antibodies. This strategic collaboration utilizes Leveragen’s proprietary Singularity Sapiens Mouse platform, a state-of-the-art technology for identifying and developing fully human single-domain antibodies, to facilitate the creation of multi-specific antibodies and other advanced therapeutics.

“At Leveragen, we are dedicated to leveraging cutting-edge genetic engineering technologies to drive transformative advances in diagnostics and therapeutics. Our collaboration with 92Bio is a prime example of how our innovative platform can enhance and diversify current treatments. We’re genuinely excited about the promising developments that this partnership will bring,” says Dr. Weisheng Chen, Founder and CEO of Leveragen.

Single-domain antibodies are small, versatile building blocks for constructing a variety of biologic modalities. Traditionally sourced from llamas and alpacas, these antibodies require complex engineering to become suitable for therapeutic use in humans. Leveragen’s Singularity Sapiens Mouse platform represents the latest technology to circumvent these challenges, producing fully human single-domain antibodies with enhanced diversity and superb biophysical characteristics.

The collaboration capitalizes on the formidable expertise of the 92Bio team, renowned for their significant achievements at Teneobio, where they developed critical biopharmaceutical assets and orchestrated an acquisition by Amgen in 2021. The 92Bio team’s proven track record of securing high-profile deals with industry leaders including AbbVie, GSK, J&J and AstraZeneca underscores their capability and strategic vision.

Dr. Ben Buelow, former CMO at Teneobio and now CEO of 92Bio, remarked, “Our collaboration with Leveragen and their groundbreaking Singularity platform is a cornerstone in our strategy to expand and enhance therapeutic possibilities.”

Under the terms of the agreement, 92Bio will gain exclusive rights to develop and market the antibodies produced using Leveragen’s Singularity Sapiens Mouse platform. In return, Leveragen will receive upfront payments for access to the platform, plus ongoing milestone payments and royalties on the sales of each developed therapy.

The partnership reflects not only Leveragen’s commitment to advancing genetic engineering in antibody discovery, but also its dedication to fostering strategic collaborations that bring forth revolutionary solutions to tackle complex diseases.

About Leveragen

Leveragen is a genetic engineering company focused on developing next-generation genetic models for antibody discovery. Harnessing CRISPR gene editing, synthetic biology, and chromosome engineering technologies, Leveragen is creating a series of genetic platforms that facilitate the discovery of diverse biologic modalities for the development of novel diagnostics and therapeutics. Leveragen’s flagship platform, the Singularity Sapiens Mouse, exclusively produces human heavy chain antibodies from the endogenous mouse locus, representing a significant breakthrough in single-domain antibody development. This innovative technology ensures the faithful expression of human immunoglobulin genes while eliminating conventional antibodies, promoting optimal B cell development and robust immune responses from a diverse human antibody repertoire. As a result, fully human single-domain antibodies derived from this platform demonstrate superior affinity, stability, solubility, and modularity. Moreover, the unique one-sequence-one-antibody nature of single-domain antibodies supports a next-generation sequencing-driven workflow that boosts the speed, scope, and efficiency of antibody discovery and accelerates the creation of more effective targeted therapies. For more information, visit https://leveragen.com/.

SOURCE: Leveragen