F-star – bispecific antibody

F-star is a leading biotech company creating bispecific antibodies by modifying the constant region of an antibody. F-star’s Modular Antibody Technology offers an ease in the development and manufacturing of bispecific antibody products.

F-star – bispecific antibody

f-star

Bispecific antibodies are capable of binding two different targets concurrently. Due to the patented Modular Antibody Technology, F-star is the only biotech company able to create bispecific antibodies by introducing additional binding sites to the constant region of an antibody. F-star’s Modular Antibody Technology provides the ability to rapidly explore many new target combinations and identify those with greatest potential, then readily develop these bispecific antibodies.

F-star’s discovery engine is used to create constant (Fc) regions with desired drug properties against a target of interest. This redesigned Fc antibody is called an Fcab. Each particular Fcab binding to a clinical target of interest is selected and optimized from a library of 10 billion unique engineered Fc binding domains. An Fcab can be combined with the variable region (Fab) of an existing antibody to generate a full-length bispecific antibody or mAb2. These bispecific monoclonal antibodies maintain the full functionality, structural integrity, and stability of regular antibodies. Thus, mAb2 bispecific monoclonal antibodies can bind two different antigens at the same time. F-star develops novel bispecific antibodies mainly to improve the treatment against cancers. These drugs offer the potential for powerful synergistic benefits not achievable by co-administration of individual drugs. Over 20 mAb2 have been successfully generated by F-star the last 12 months. For instance, F-star’s lead program, FS102, demonstrates the huge abilities of this platform: in less than 18 months, FS102 advanced from drug candidate, scale-up and GMP manufacturing, then toxicology studies to a successful IND filing. FS102 is now entering clinical trials under a partnership with Bristol-Myers Squibb.

F-star was founded in 2006 and employs now around 40 people at its research site in Cambridge (UK). Management Team includes John Haurum, Jane Dancer, Tolga Hassan, Mihriban Tuna, Haijun Sun, Jacqueline Doody and Kate Seaber. Scientific Advisors are John Edwards, Jean-François Formela, Deborah Harland, Helmut Schühsler, Patrick Krol, Gregory Winter and Florian Rüker. In 2011, F-star was selected by FierceBiotech as one of the most promising private biotechnology companies in the industry. F-star has a huge IP portfolio including patents, trademarks, and trade secrets. This portfolio provides F-star with exclusivity around its Fcab and mAb2 technologies and their use in the treatment of disease.

More about F-star: www.f-star.com

F-star – bispecific antibody – bispecific antibodies – Modular Antibody Technology – Fcab – FS102

F-star – bispecific antibody – bispecific antibodies – constant region – antibody – antibodies – Fstar – Bristol-Myers Squibb – mAb2 – mAb2 – John Haurum – Jane Dancer – Tolga Hassan – Mihriban Tuna – Haijun Sun – Jacqueline Doody – Kate Seaber – John Edwards – Jean-François Formela – Deborah Harland – Helmut Schühsler – Patrick Krol – Gregory Winter – Florian Rüker