Amorfix Life Sciences (TSX:AMF) and Aragen Bioscience, Inc. announced today that they have entered into an agreement to develop high-affinity monoclonal antibodies against a number of targets for cancer. Using its proprietary ProMIS(TM) computational platform discovery technology, Amorfix has identified several disease specific epitopes ("DSEs") on misfolded Fas receptor. Aragen will use those DSEs to generate highly specific monoclonal antibodies ("mAbs").
"Fas receptor is a well characterized target on cells that, when activated, causes programmed cell death, or apoptosis. Previous attempts to use Fas receptor as a therapeutic target for the development of new anti-cancer therapeutics have failed because its expression and function lead to undesirable side effects on normal cells. Using our ProMIS(TM) technology, we have identified DSEs on Fas receptor that will provide the required specificity for our mAbs to target and kill tumor cells while leaving normal cells intact," said Dr. Robert Gundel, Vice President of Research and Development at Amorfix. "We are very pleased to be collaborating with Aragen Bioscience on this important project in hopes of generating a highly effective and safe new therapeutic for the treatment of a variety of cancers."
"The ProMIS(TM) technology has identified novel and presumably rare epitopes having important potential in the treatment of several devastating diseases," commented Rick Srigley, President & CEO of Aragen Bioscience. "We are excited to be working with the Amorfix team and look forward to applying our technical skills and extensive experience to the development of novel mAbs for the treatment of cancer and other diseases."
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