Collaboration for Development of Therapeutic Monoclonal Antibody Candidates to Target Tumor Hypoxia Antigen
EXTON, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Morphotek®, Inc., a subsidiary of Eisai Corporation of North America, announced today that it has signed a Sponsored Research Agreement with The University of Pennsylvania to fund research for the development of therapeutic antibody candidates targeting an antigen associated with hypoxic regions in tumors. Hypoxia is a condition in which suboptimal oxygen concentrations exist in tissues.
“We are very interested in and looking forward to this collaboration, as targeting the hypoxic tumor microenvironment is a high priority in our ongoing efforts to develop more effective cancer therapies," said Dr. Wafik S. El-Deiry, Professor of Medicine, Genetics and Pharmacology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and Co-Program Leader of the Radiation Biology & Imaging Program at the Abramson Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Associate Director for Physician-Scientist Training in Hematology/Oncology at University of Pennsylvania. “We believe this relationship may lead to a deeper understanding of hypoxia pathways and their role in cancers, and may ultimately lead to the development of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies that target antigens required for tumor cells to survive in hypoxic regions.”
Hypoxic regions are commonly found in tumors as they rapidly outgrow their blood supply. This, in turn, results in regions where oxygen concentrations are significantly lower than in healthy tissues. Tumor hypoxic regions are considered to be a potential therapeutic problem, leading to increased resistance of tumors to radiation and chemotherapeutic drugs. Studies have also shown that tumor hypoxia is associated with a more malignant phenotype and poor survival in patients suffering from various solid tumors. To survive under hypoxic conditions, tumor cells produce hypoxia-induced factors at levels that are not typically found in normal tissues.
“Morphotek continues to expand its oncology product pipeline through the addition of promising new targets and antibodies, and through the development of its therapeutic antibody candidates,” stated Nicholas C. Nicolaides, Ph.D., President and CEO of Morphotek. “This collaboration builds upon our existing relationships with leading researchers at the University of Pennsylvania for possible advancement of therapeutic monoclonal antibody candidates into clinical trials. Dr. Wafik El-Deiry and his team bring significant expertise to our program in the area of tumor hypoxia, and we are very excited to be working together with his group.”
About Morphotek
Morphotek®, Inc., a subsidiary of Eisai Corporation of North America, is a biopharmaceutical company specializing in the development of protein and antibody products through the use of a novel and proprietary gene evolution technology. The technology has been successfully applied to a broad variety of cell lines and organisms to yield genetically diverse offspring that are suitable for pharmaceutical product development in the areas of antibody therapeutics, protein therapeutics, product manufacturing, drug target discovery, and improved output traits for commercial applications. The company is currently focusing its platform on the development and manufacturing of therapeutic antibodies for the treatment of cancer, inflammation and infectious disease. For more information, please visit www.morphotek.com.
About Eisai Corporation of North America
Eisai Corporation of North America is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Eisai Co., Ltd., a research-based human health care (hhc) company that discovers, develops and markets products throughout the world. Eisai focuses its efforts in three therapeutic areas: neurology, gastrointestinal disorders and oncology/critical care. Eisai Corporation of North America supports the activities of its operating companies in North America, which include: Eisai Research Institute of Boston, Inc., a discovery operation with strong organic chemistry capabilities; Morphotek, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company specializing in the development of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies; Eisai Medical Research Inc., a clinical development group; Eisai Inc., a commercial operation with manufacturing and marketing/sales functions; and Eisai Machinery U.S.A., which markets and maintains pharmaceutical manufacturing machinery. For more information about Eisai, please visit www.eisai.com.
