Ixsys Receives Exclusive License for Monoclonal Antibodies to Reverse Chemotherapy Resistance

Strategic Insights -

Ixsys, a leader in molecular design, has announced that it has received an exclusive license from Hoechst Japan Ltd. for rights to a family of monoclonal antibodies, including all forms of MRK-16 and MRK-17, which reverse the resistance of tumor cells to chemotherapy. This license allows Ixsys to develop a novel therapeutic agent that has the potential to significantly increase the effectiveness of chemotherapy against difficult-to-treat cancers.

Key Takeaways:

  • Ixsys has received an exclusive license from Hoechst Japan Ltd. for rights to a family of monoclonal antibodies, including MRK-16 and MRK-17, which reverse chemotherapy resistance.
  • The antibodies, discovered by Dr. Takashi Tsuruo, have been shown to specifically inhibit the function of P-glycoprotein, a protein that functions as an efflux pump in tumors and eliminates therapeutic agents before they can reach and destroy malignant cells.
  • Ixsys is using its proprietary Codon-Based Mutagenesis technology to engineer the antibodies into less immunogenic, "humanized" forms for use in clinical studies.
  • The company's technology enables them to optimize these antibodies to increase their affinity to tumor cells and their ability to counteract drug resistance.
  • In preclinical studies at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the murine antibody MRK-16 to P-glycoprotein was significantly more effective in reversing drug resistance in vivo than pharmacological P-glycoprotein inhibitors.
  • Ixsys is working with a number of major institutions and leading researchers in the field of multidrug resistance to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of their therapeutic approach.
  • The company believes that its Codon-Based Mutagenesis technology is the key to creating the most suitable therapeutic molecules, including peptides and antibodies.

Statistics:

  • Reece C. Bowker, director of business and financial development at Xcyte Therapies Inc., stated that the majority of therapeutic proteins fail to reach the marketplace.
  • Ixsys' Codon-Based Mutagenesis technology has improved the affinity of numerous molecules by 10-to-50 fold.
  • The antibodies, which include MRK-16 and MRK-17, have been shown to have significant potential in reversing chemotherapy resistance in animal models of cancer.

Sources:

  • "Ixsys Awarded Exclusive License for Monoclonal Antibodies to Reverse Chemotherapy Resistance."

Business Wire, November 1, 1994.

  • "Ixsys Inc."

Company Overview, undated.

  • "Code-Based Mutagenesis: A New Method for Enhancing Protein-Protein Interactions."

European Biophysics Journal, Volume 27, Issue 2, 1998.