Yu Tian

We recently sat down with Dr. George Wang, Vice President of Discovery and Preclinical Services at WuXi Biologics to discuss the importance of looking at developability of an antibody early in the drug discovery process. In the podcast, The Importance of Evaluating Developability in the Antibody Discovery Stage, Dr. Wang defines developability and its significance in achieving scalable production during CMC development, which is essential for large-scale manufacturing before clinical trials. He emphasizes the importance of identifying and addressing developability concerns early in the discovery stage to mitigate risks and ensure cost-effective development. Dr. Wang provides examples where developability studies have helped prevent unforeseen costs and timeline disruptions during biologics discovery and preclinical development phases. He underscores that assessing developability can reveal issues with product aggregation, stability, solubility, or manufacturing efficiencies. https://lnkd.in/g7qY9kXs

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RAPT Therapeutics Therapeutics and Shanghai Jemincare Pharmaceutical Announce Exclusive License Agreement for Novel Long-Acting anti-IgE Antibody SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., Dec. 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- RAPT Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: RAPT), a clinical-stage, immunology-based biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing and commercializing novel therapies for patients with significant unmet needs in inflammatory diseases, and Shanghai Jemincare Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd (“Jemincare”), a subsidiary of Jiangxi Jemincare Group, a leading pharmaceutical company in China, today announced they have entered into an exclusive license agreement for JYB1904 (RAPT designation RPT904), a clinical-stage, half-life extended anti-immunoglobulin E (IgE) monoclonal antibody. Under the terms of the license agreement, RAPT is granted worldwide rights excluding mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan (together, the “Jemincare Territory”) to develop and commercialize RPT904. As consideration for the license, Jemincare receives a $35 million upfront license fee, up to $672.5 million in additional payments upon the achievement of various regulatory and commercial milestones, and royalties on future sales of RPT904 outside the Jemincare Territory. RPT904 is being developed to offer patients a potentially improved therapeutic option compared to omalizumab (marketed as Xolair®), an anti-IgE monoclonal antibody approved for several allergic disorders, including asthma, chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU), chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps and, most recently, food allergy. RAPT plans to pursue development of RPT904 initially in food allergy. Separately, Jemincare is conducting Phase 2 clinical trials of JYB1904 in China in asthma and CSU. “We’re delighted to partner with Jemincare and excited by RPT904 and its potential to be a novel best-in-class treatment option for patients with food allergy. Omalizumab’s rapid uptake in food allergy since its approval earlier this year confirms the high unmet need and large opportunity in this growing market,” commented Brian Wong M.D., Ph.D., President and CEO of RAPT. “RPT904 targets the same clinically validated epitope as omalizumab and combined with extended half-life, gives this molecule a best-in-class profile. We plan to initiate a Phase 2b clinical trial of RPT904 in food allergy in the second half of 2025.” https://lnkd.in/e92YkAmT

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It’s time for another fascinating #cyclodextrins fact, this month courtesy of our Biopharma Senior Scientist, Shiqi Hong, PhD! It’s true, polysorbates may be the most commonly used surfactants for biopharma formulations, but high-quality HPβCD excipients have proved to be far more stable and effective in protecting proteins from the various stresses exposed during manufacturing and storage. Read our experts’ full findings and see the performance comparison for yourself now via our Pharma Virtual Lab: https://lnkd.in/g77_q4TP #drugdelivery #biopharma #excipients 

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🌟 Kicking off with insightful presentations! 🌟 Prof. San Zhong Luo (Tsinghua University) shared his research on "External Tuning of Catalytic Enamine Intermediates," highlighting key strategies to enhance catalytic efficiency and control in organic synthesis. Thank you Prof. Luo! #SYNTHESIS #ThiemeChinaRoadshow #EnamineCatalysis #ChemicalInnovation #OrganicSynthesis #ChemistryAdvances

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Biotech Tuesday Recap: Problem Solving Through Innovation On September 24th, BIB hosted an inspiring event at Boston’s Seaport, showcasing how we innovate from molecule to market. Our technical speakers— Chi Ming Yu, Pitchai Sangan, Ravi Chari, and Nida Sayed Zubairy—shared their expertise on key innovations, including: - Epic-CHO Cell Line Development: 5-10 g/L titers in 3 months - Residual Host Cell DNA Characterization: Solving critical challenges in analytical development - AAV Production Optimization: Leveraging cutting-edge statistical designs - Ultra-Large-Scale Manufacturing: Transforming biologics production with PanFlex® Thank you to our speakers, attendees, and everyone who contributed to making this event a success! #Innovation #BiotechTuesday #Biologics #CDMO #Biomanufacturing #Moleculetomarket

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https://lnkd.in/gtpjhNcw Our preprint on the first glimpse of how the human proteasome recognizes a K48/K11-branched ubiquitin chain is out. This work represents a major breakthrough in our understanding of how the 26S proteasome uses a new multi-subunit binding motif to recognize this unusual ubiquitination product to carry out timely house-keeping functions during cell devision and in response to protein unfolding stress. Here is a summary made by AI: This study elucidates the structural mechanisms underlying the recognition of K11/K48-branched ubiquitin chains by the human 26S proteasome, using cryo-electron microscopy to resolve complex interactions at atomic resolution. The authors provide compelling evidence for a novel binding site on RPN2, enhancing understanding of substrate specificity within the ubiquitin-proteasome system. The findings reveal a tripartite binding interface including K11 and K48 linkages, facilitating multivalent recognition and prioritizing degradation of substrates marked by such chains. Enhanced proteasome-mediated turnover of specific proteins critical during cell cycle progression and stress responses emphasizes implications for proteostasis, particularly under cellular stress contexts. The newly characterized binding modalities offer an expanded view of ubiquitin signaling pathways and potential therapeutic targets. Your feedbacks will be most welcome

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🎉 Another great publication from the team in Tikva Allocell Pte Ltd in Molecular Therapy (Cell Press)! In this publication, the team demonstrates that the spacer domain (which is often overlooked in CAR engineering) can be rationally designed to enhance performance and developability. In addition, the team showed the use of a novel spacer domain derived from 4-1BB and OX40 costimulatory receptors in achieving potent killing of tumors while minimizing secretion of proinflammatory cytokines that would compromise safety. Congratulation to the team for the great publication! 🎊 #allogeneic #offtheshelf #oncology #solidtumors 📑 For more information: https://lnkd.in/gkQCsGhG

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In a recently published Perspective, Catherine Hutchings and Aaron Sato discuss phage display technology and its impact in the discovery of novel protein-based drugs. From the abstract: Areas covered In this perspective, the authors summarize the application of phage display for drug discovery and provide examples of protein-based drugs that have either been approved or are being developed in the clinic. The amenability of phage display to generate functional protein molecules to challenging targets and recent developments of strategies and techniques designed to harness the power of sampling diverse repertoires are highlighted. Expert opinion Phage display is now routinely combined with cutting-edge technologies to deep-mine antibody-based repertoires, peptide, or alternative scaffold libraries generating a wealth of data that can be leveraged, e.g. via artificial intelligence, to enable the potential for clinical success in the discovery and development of protein-based therapeutics. https://lnkd.in/ekeA5Z4j

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IPI director of automation, Curtis Walton, pursued biochemistry to understand the fundamental chemical framework of life and its smallest mechanisms. Read his story ➡️

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"Two-pore channel 2 (TPC2) is an activated Na+ and Ca2+-permeable #IonChannel and plays important roles in intracellular vesicle trafficking, #Autophagy, and exocytosis. TPC2 is associated with a number of human disease pathologies. For example, TPC2-mediated calcium signaling is associated with cell proliferation, #Angiogenesis and #Metastasis, therefore affecting #Cancer progression at all stages. More recently, it was discovered that TPC2-mediated calcium signaling is critical for #EbolaVirus and #Coronavirus to escape from lysosomes into cytoplasm after internalization hence attracting further interest as a #DrugTarget and as a subject of host-targeting #AntiViral therapeutics! A number of synthetic Ligands have been developed for TPC2 some of them based on their natural analogs. Plant extracts are another major source for TPC2 #Antagonists, with the alkaloid #Tetrandrine, #Naringenin and related flavonoids. Newly developed synthetic antagonists (SG-005 and SG-094) exhibited reduced toxicity toward non-cancerous cells. Tetrandrine congeners are superior to naringenin and Ned-19 regarding their anti-#Tumor activity and hence represent promising candidates for further #DrugDevelopment into #SmallMolecule therapeutics to treat human cancers!" Do not miss this wonderful open-access article published in Cell Press Structure, in which Katharina Dürr, Prof. Dr. Dr. Christian Grimm and colleagues revealed the #CryoEM structure of human TPC2 in complex with a pure (S)-enantiomer of a synthetic #Antagonist SG-094: https://lnkd.in/eGvvbBaT Interestingly, SG-094 induces asymmetrical structural changes leading to a single binding pocket at only one inter-subunit interface within the asymmetrical TPC2 dimer. Supported by functional characterization of mutants by Ca2+ imaging and patch clamp experiments, this study revealed the #MechanismOfAction (MoA) of SG-094 binding to TPC2. In addition, modeling of two phospholipids with hydrophobic tails extending to the potential #DrugBinding pocket will also provide insight into the roles of lipids in ion channel function and will guide rational #DrugDesign of new therapeutics antagonizing TPC2 activity! If you are interested in how Cryo-EM is revolutionizing #DrugDiscovery, please follow this weblink to gain some deeper insights from there: https://lnkd.in/eXW7K_U6

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Proof-of-concept of Tri-NAb, targeting PDL1, 4-1BB, and NKG2A (or TIGIT) in humanized mice. This principle design can be applied for different combinations of antibody targets with different types of tumors. Orchestrating NK and T cells via tri-specific nano-antibodies for synergistic antitumor immunity The functions of natural killer (NK) and T cells in innate and adaptive immunity, as well as their functions in tumor eradication, are complementary and intertwined. Here we show that utilization of multi-specific antibodies or nano-antibodies capable of simultaneously targeting both NK and T cells could be a valuable approach in cancer immunotherapy. Here, we introduce a tri-specific Nano-Antibody (Tri-NAb), generated by immobilizing three types of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), using an optimized albumin/polyester composite nanoparticle conjugated with anti-Fc antibody. This Tri-NAb, targeting PDL1, 4-1BB, and NKG2A (or TIGIT) simultaneously, effectively binds to NK and CD8+ T cells, triggering their activation and proliferation, while facilitating their interaction with tumor cells, thereby inducing efficient tumor killing. Importantly, the antitumor efficacy of Tri-NAb is validated in multiple models, including patient-derived tumor organoids and humanized mice, highlighting the translational potential of NK and T cell co-targeting. https://lnkd.in/eY8SP-Hn

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🔬 Discover the Potential of Synthetic Cells with Elastin-Like Polypeptide Coacervates Synthetic biology is revolutionizing the way we approach cell-based systems, and this exciting research by Siddharth Deshpande and Chang Chen explores elastin-like polypeptide (ELP) coacervates as reversibly triggerable compartments for synthetic cells. 🧫 Their work showcases how ELP coacervates can mimic cellular compartmentalization with precision and adaptability, for dynamic and controllable biochemical reactions. 💡 At Elveflow, we’re proud to support researchers like Siddharth Deshpande and Chang with our microfluidic instruments, enabling them to push the boundaries of innovation where engineering meets biology. 🖱️ Curious to learn more? Check out the full research summary: 👉https://bit.ly/403jpEb

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WuXi Biologics today announced that it and Hangzhou DAC have signed a research service agreement with Aadi Bioscience, Inc. (NASDAQ: AADI) for a three-asset portfolio of preclinical next-wave antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs). These assets were discovered through the collaborative efforts of WuXi Biologics and Hangzhou DAC, utilizing the innovative antibody discovery platform provided by WuXi Biologics and advanced linker-payload technology provided by Hangzhou DAC. #ADC #discovery #research #platform For more information, please visit https://lnkd.in/gpKWJafZ

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#LegendCapital #PortfolioNews Our portfolio company, WuXi Biologics, together with Hangzhou DAC Biotechnology CO., LTD. (Hangzhou DAC), have signed a research service agreement with Aadi Bioscience, Inc. for a three-asset portfolio of preclinical next-wave antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs). This collaboration further validates WuXi Biologics’ capability to provide integrated discovery technology platforms for global partners to develop next-generation modalities. #ADC #DrugResearch 

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I am learning RWD/RWE in Japan recently. It’s a little strange, in this 3rd largest single country drug market (after US and China), the RWD/RWE activities are just so-so. Why? Thanks my colleagues Yuji Fujii and Minori Niso, sending me this article. It explains from multiple aspects, e.g. data, standards, policies, other tech challenges, and most important, the lack of motivations and incentives. What’s interesting is the discussion of how “unique” Japan is vs the rest of the world. An expert disagree and believe Japan should embrace the wave of innovation and not to emphasize too much on uniqueness. Same argument happens in China as well. In 2019 when Aaron Kamauu MD MS MPH and I drafted our China plan, China was embracing the world. There was no need to discuss “global” vs “local” model. After COVID-19, however, everything changed, and changed quickly. The model that makes sense to me is a “GLOCAL” model, I learned from my dear client.

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🌟 LIVE NOW: Dr. Longqi Liu, Chief Scientist of Single-cell Omics at #BGI-Research, presents on "High-Resolution Panoramic Spatial Transcriptomics for Mapping of Brain Cell Atlas" at the #stocgeneralmeeting2024. Join us in unraveling the secrets of the brain's cellular landscape!

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