AnaptysBio, VLST collaborate to generate novel multi-antigen specific antibody therapeutics

AnaptysBio, Inc., a privately-held therapeutic antibody platform and product company, today announced a collaboration with VLST Corporation to generate novel multi-antigen specific antibody therapeutics for the treatment of autoimmune and inflammatory disorders. This is the fourth collaboration announced by AnaptysBio during 2010.

“A key objective of this collaboration is to leverage the ability of AnaptysBio's SHM-Platform™ to select antibodies that bind specifically to multiple target antigens of interest”

Under the terms of the agreement, AnaptysBio will be responsible for generating novel antibodies using its proprietary somatic hypermutation (SHM) technology platform. Antibodies generated by AnaptysBio will be developed and commercialized by VLST, a Seattle-based biotechnology company focused on the development of therapeutics for autoimmune and inflammatory disorders. AnaptysBio has received an upfront payment to initiate the collaboration and is eligible to receive milestone payments and royalties associated with the development and sale of any products derived from the collaboration.

"A key objective of this collaboration is to leverage the ability of AnaptysBio's SHM-Platform™ to select antibodies that bind specifically to multiple target antigens of interest," said Tom Smart, chairman and chief executive officer of AnaptysBio. "Antibodies that bind specifically to multiple antigens are an area of increasing interest to the industry and one of the most exciting areas for novel therapeutic antibody development. We anticipate entering more collaborations because of growing interest in our platform's ability to naturally evolve antibodies to meet challenging design goals and simultaneously select across multiple parameters for those with the desired properties, such as multi-antigen binding specificity."