Argen-X launches NHance technology
To leverage power of Simple antibody platform to generate better human antibody therapeutics
Argen-X, a Dutch preclinical stage biopharmaceutical firm, has launched NHance, its latest technology for creating human antibody therapeutics.
The Rotterdam-based firm says NHance prolongs the circulation time of therapeutic antibodies in the human body by engineering of the antibody constant region (Fc). It is said to provide reduced antibody dosing, increased efficacy and improved overall convenience to the patient.
NHance is based on proprietary Fc region mutations and was invented by Dr Sally Ward, Professor of Immunology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. Argen-X has acquired an exclusive global licence to the technology.
Argen-X will apply the NHance technology to its partners’ antibody discovery programmes and to its own therapeutic antibody pipeline. In addition, the firm will make the technology available to antibody-focused companies through non-exclusive licences.
‘Our validated Simple antibody platform, which delivers variable regions unrivalled in their functional diversity and therapeutic utility, is key to Argen-X’s success,’ says chief scientific officer Professor Hans de Haard. ‘We had previously complemented the Simple platform with state-of-the-art ADCC-enhancement through our Potelligent licensing agreement with BioWa. We are now further strengthening our capabilities with NHance to ensure the optimal differentiation of our antibody products.’