- Immutep (IMM) has reported that its manufacturing partner has made significant progress in the cell line development for IMP761
- This is the company’s preclinical candidate for treating the root cause of some autoimmune diseases by targeting the LAG-3 receptor on T cells
- Immutep will now proceed with preparations for the Good Manufacturing Practice process which will then allow for clinical testing of the compound
- Shares in Immutep are trading 3.03 per cent in the green for 17 cents
Immutep (IMM) has reported that its manufacturing partner has made significant progress in the cell line development for IMP761.
Manufacturer Batavia Biosciences used its STEP mAB technology to develop a stable, pharmaceutical-grade CHO cell line to produce high yields of IMP761.
This is Immutep’s preclinical candidate for treating the root cause of some autoimmune diseases by targeting the LAG-3 receptor of T cells.
“IMP761 is the first agonist antibody that targets the immune checkpoint LAG-3 for the treatment of autoimmune diseases, such as inflammatory bowel diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, and multiple sclerosis,” explained Immutep CEO Marc Voigt.
“The cell line which was developed seems to be highly potent and we are excited to be moving closer to clinical testing of this promising product candidate to treat the root cause of autoimmune diseases,” he continued.
IMP761 is an immunosuppressive agonist antibody to LAG-3 meaning that it binds to the LAG-3 receptor on activated T cells which form part of the body’s immune response.
By binding to the receptor, the agonist antibody inhibits the T cell’s proliferation and reaction against the body’s own tissue. In doing so, IMP761 is thought to reduce the excessive immune reaction associated with autoimmune diseases by addressing the cause rather than the subsequent inflammation.
Immutep will now proceed with preparations for the Good Manufacturing Practice process compliance phase, which will then allow for clinical testing of IMP761 in autoimmune diseases.
Company shares are trading 3.03 per cent in the green for 17 cents at 12:09 pm AEST.