ISAR Bioscience GmbH, based in Planegg, and YUMAB GmbH, based in Braunschweig, are combining their expertise to develop a novel antibody platform for transporting biotherapeutics across the blood-brain barrier. At the core of the collaboration is an antibody targeting the transferrin receptor, which could enable non-invasive access to the central nervous system.
ISAR Bioscience and YUMAB are collaborating on a novel platform designed to transport therapeutic agents across the blood-brain barrier (BBB). To achieve this, the partners are developing an antibody that specifically binds to the transferrin receptor (TfR). The goal is to enable more efficient delivery of biotherapeutics to the central nervous system (CNS) and thereby open up new treatment approaches, particularly for neurological diseases.
The blood-brain barrier protects the brain from harmful substances and pathogens, but at the same time represents a major challenge in the development of drugs for CNS disorders. Many therapeutic agents are unable to cross the barrier or reach the brain only at insufficient concentrations. As a result, invasive routes of administration may be required to achieve therapeutically effective drug levels in the brain.
YUMAB and ISAR Bioscience therefore aim to harness one of the body’s natural transport mechanisms: receptor-mediated transcytosis via the transferrin receptor. Under physiological conditions, this receptor facilitates the transport of iron into the brain. In the future, a TfR-specific antibody could serve as a transport vehicle for a wide range of therapeutic agents, enabling them to cross the blood-brain barrier.
The two companies bring complementary expertise to the collaboration. Planegg-based ISAR Bioscience develops innovative therapeutic approaches for neurodegenerative, immunological, and cardiovascular diseases. The company works with technologies including induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells), therapeutic antibodies, and mRNA/lipid nanoparticle (LNP)-based approaches. YUMAB has many years of experience in the development and engineering of therapeutic antibodies and, according to the company, has supported more than 650 projects to date.
“We’re excited about this collaboration which represents an important opportunity to further validate the capabilities of our antibody discovery platform in a highly innovative therapeutic field,” said Dr. Thomas Schirrmann, CEO, YUMAB. "Combining our expertise in antibody engineering with ISAR Bioscience's strengths in CNS biology and translational medicine creates an excellent foundation for developing novel delivery solutions for patients with neurological diseases."
ISAR Bioscience also sees overcoming the blood-brain barrier as an important approach for developing new therapies for neurodegenerative diseases.
“The transport of therapeutic antibodies is key to developing successful Alzheimer’s drugs” said Dr. Miriam Christlmeier, head of ISAR Bioscience’s neurodegeneration team. “We are happy to team up with the experienced YUMAB team to achieve this goal,” adds Prof. Martin Lohse, CEO of ISAR Bioscience. “This will be a perfectly synergistic collaboration”.