SAN DIEGO, March 04, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AnaptysBio, Inc. (Nasdaq: ANAB ), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing first-in-class antibody product candidates focused on unmet medical needs in inflammation, today announced that its scientific collaborators at the Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason (BRI) have presented a translational research study entitled “Role of IL-33 in modulating human allergen-specific pathogenic CD4+T Cell responses,” at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI) 2017 Annual Meeting (Session Number 2604, Presentation Number 208, Saturday March 4, 2017 3:00pm ET, Room B206, Georgia World Congress Center Building B) in Atlanta.
This study, conducted in the laboratory of Dr. Erik Wambre at BRI, assessed the biology of a distinct subset of T cells, called TH2A cells, which are found in elevated frequency in peanut allergic patients when compared to non-allergic individuals. TH2A cells isolated from peanut allergy patients demonstrated increased sensitivity to IL-33 signaling as a result of elevated expression of the IL-33 receptor. Data showed that, upon stimulus with IL-33, TH2A cells express significantly greater levels of effector cytokines IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13, which are believed to be associated with severe peanut allergy. The research concluded that IL-33 is a key checkpoint of allergic responses, and blocking IL-33 has the potential to reduce expression of the effector cytokines involved in severe peanut allergy.
These findings provide further scientific support for the development of AnaptysBio’s proprietary anti-IL-33 antibody, known as ANB020, for the treatment of severe adult peanut allergy. AnaptysBio is currently enrolling severe adult peanut allergy patients in a Phase 2a clinical trial, where top-line data are anticipated during the second half of 2017.
About ANB020 ANB020 is a potentially first-in-class antibody that inhibits the activity of IL-33, a pro-inflammatory cytokine that multiple studies have indicated is a central mediator of atopic diseases, including atopic dermatitis, food allergies and asthma. IL-33 directly mediates the release of disease-associated cytokines, which recruit pro-inflammatory cells that mediate atopic disease. Because ANB020 inhibits IL-33 function and acts upstream broadly across the key cell types and cytokines involved in atopy, we believe that its mechanism has advantages in the treatment of atopic diseases over competing agents that block only a subset of the cytokines responsible for atopic diseases. The role of IL-33 signaling in asthma has recently been genetically validated through human studies published in the medical literature. We have cleared a U.S. IND and a U.K. CTA to initiate Phase 2a trials of ANB020 for the treatment of severe adult peanut allergy and moderate-to-severe adult atopic dermatitis, respectively, where we anticipate top-line data from these trials to be announced during the second half of 2017. In addition, we plan to seek regulatory clearance during the first half of 2017 to initiate a Phase 2a trial in patients with severe adult eosinophilic asthma, where we anticipate top-line data from this trial to be announced during the first half of 2018.
About AnaptysBio AnaptysBio is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing first-in-class antibody product candidates focused on unmet medical needs in inflammation. The company's proprietary anti-inflammatory pipeline includes its anti-IL-33 antibody (ANB020) for the treatment of moderate-to-severe adult atopic dermatitis, severe adult peanut allergy and severe adult eosinophilic asthma; its anti-IL-36R antibody (ANB019) for the treatment of rare inflammatory diseases, including generalized pustular psoriasis and palmo-plantar pustular psoriasis; and a portfolio of checkpoint receptor agonist antibodies for the treatment of certain autoimmune diseases where immune checkpoint receptors are insufficiently activated and have demonstrated efficacy in an animal model of graft-versus-host disease. AnaptysBio's antibody pipeline has been developed using its proprietary SHM platform, which uses in vitro somatic hypermutation for antibody discovery and is designed to replicate key features of the human immune system to overcome the limitations of competing antibody discovery technologies. AnaptysBio has also developed multiple therapeutic antibodies in partnership with Celgene and TESARO, including an anti-PD-1 antagonist antibody (TSR-042) and an anti-TIM-3 antagonist antibody (TSR-022), which are currently under clinical development with TESARO, and an undisclosed anti-inflammatory antibody currently in the clinic with Celgene.
Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements about AnaptysBio's expectations, plans, intentions, and strategies, including, but not limited to, statements regarding AnaptysBio 's expectations regarding results or timing of future clinical results or regulatory approvals. Statements including words such as "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "will," "continue," "expect," or "future," and statements in the future tense are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, as well as assumptions, which, if they do not fully materialize or prove incorrect, could cause our results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The risks and uncertainties include those described in AnaptysBio's documents filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements in this press release are based on information available to AnaptysBio as of the date hereof. AnaptysBio assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements.
Contact: Monique Allaire THRUST Investor Relations 617.895.9511 monique@thrustir.com
