Twist Bioscience Highlights Synthetic Libraries and High Throughput Antibody Discovery Platform at PEGS Boston 2022

On May 2, 2022 Twist Bioscience Corporation (NASDAQ: TWST), a company enabling customers to succeed through its offering of high-quality synthetic DNA using its silicon platform, reported six poster presentations at PEGS (The Essential Protein Engineering & Cell Therapy Summit) Boston occurring May 2-6 virtually and in-person at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston, MA (Press release, Twist Bioscience, MAY 2, 2022, View Source [SID1234613325]). In addition, Aaron Sato, Ph.D., chief scientific officer of Twist Bioscience, will present ‘Writing the Future of Biologics’ on May 2 at 2:50 PM ET and Tracey Mullen, SVP, operations, will present ‘Rapid, Function-Forward mAb Discovery against a Cell Surface Target via Concurrent Use of Humanized and Hyperimmune Mice’ on May 4 at 12:30 PM ET. Twist will also host a networking event on May 4 from 7:00-10:00 PM ET. Visit https://bit.ly/TwistMixer to register.

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"These posters show the depth and breadth of the antibody discovery and library construction capabilities of Twist Biopharma against high-impact targets," said Emily M. Leproust, Ph.D., CEO and co-founder of Twist Bioscience. "Our next generation libraries enable antibody discovery for therapies such as CAR-T engineered cell therapies, which have the potential to change the treatment landscape for patients. In addition, the data presented on the discovery of an antibody targeting ADORA2A, a next generation checkpoint, demonstrate Twist Biopharma’s ability to generate antibodies independently."

Poster Number: P003

Advanced Antibody Discovery Workflow to Capture Maximum Repertoire Diversity

The complexity of antibody therapeutic targets continues to evolve, which in turn necessitates the evolution of integrated discovery methodologies. Incorporating state-of-the-art, high-resolution techniques enables reliable candidate triage more efficiently than traditional techniques. Major advancements in critical tools have improved antibody discovery by providing robust and thorough analysis of target specificity, function, and developability earlier in the drug development process. Effective integration of these technologies bolsters the antibody discovery process and facilitates lead candidate selection within as few as two months.

Poster Number: P004

In Vivo VHH Discovery Workflow Based on Immunized Alpaca and Rapid Beacon-Based Single B Cell Screening

VHH antibodies have demonstrated tremendous promise as versatile building blocks for antibody-based therapeutics, multispecifics and cell-based biologics due to higher affinity and better access to hidden epitopes on cell surface targets as compared to conventional IgG antibodies. Effective integration of advanced tools for analysis of target specificity, function and developability can bolster the VHH discovery process and facilitate lead candidate selection for novel therapeutic modalities against traditionally challenging targets.

Poster Number: P143

Next Generation Synthetic Libraries for Enzyme Engineering, Cell Therapy and Gene Editing Technologies

This poster details Twist’s next generation libraries including CRISPR gRNA libraries, which are an efficient tool for high throughput gene editing and knockout of molecular targets; synonymous codon (SynCodon) libraries, which are optimized to improve protein yields, binding affinity, stability, and expression of proteins; and T cell receptor (TCR) and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell libraries, which can be used in combination to screen a large scale of module sets.

Poster Number: P144

Discovery of Pre-clinical ADORA2A Antibody with Twist High Throughput Antibody Discovery Platform

These data detail how Twist used its high-throughput DNA synthesis platform and a large-scale phage library built based on a mouse immunization platform from Abveris, a division of Twist Bioscience, to discover a high-affinity antagonistic ADORA2A antibody, which in preclinical studies restored T cell activity and showed anti-tumor activity.

Poster Number: P145

Engineering Synthetic Multivalent VHH Antibodies at Scale

These data describe Twist’s scalable process for engineering high affinity mono and bispecific multivalent VHH-Fc antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein.

Poster Number: P146

Leveraging synthetic Library of Libraries to enable effective antibody discovery against high-impact targets

This poster demonstrates how Twist discovered high-affinity antibodies for six cytokine or immunomodulatory targets by constructing synthetic antibody libraries, using phage display to pan libraries against biotinylated protein targets, and screening for lead candidates through ELISA binding assays and NGS enrichment tracking.

About Twist Biopharma

By leveraging our unique ability to manufacture DNA at scale, we can construct proprietary antibody libraries precisely designed to match sequences that occur in the human body. The Library of Libraries gives our partners an integral and unbiased resource for antibody discovery and optimization. This precise and rational approach to library fabrication combined with sophisticated bioinformatics and software expertise expedites antibody discovery by decreasing risk, increasing speed, and lowering the failure rate for antibody development.

XNK Therapeutics gets abstract on ACP-001 selected for presentation at EHA2022

On May 2, 2022 XNK Therapeutics AB ("XNK") reported that an abstract on the long-term follow-up of the Phase I/II clinical trial study ACP-001 with its leading candidate drug has been selected for a presentation at European Hematology Association (EHA) (Free EHA Whitepaper)’s hybrid conference EHA (Free EHA Whitepaper)2022, which is held in Vienna, Austria, on June 9th-12th (Press release, XNK Therapeutics, MAY 2, 2022, View Source [SID1234613341]).

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The abstract, titled Autologous NK Cells as Consolidation After Front-Line Stem Cell Transplantation in Multiple Myeloma: A Long-Term Follow-Up, will be presented by the first author Johan Lund at a poster session on Friday, June 10, 16:30 – 17:45 CEST. The other authors include Hareth Nahi, Stephan Meinke, Per-Henrik Holmqvist, Hans-Gustaf Ljunggren, Johan Aschan and Evren Alici.

"We are very happy to be able to present this clinical long-term follow-up at this prestigious conference. It further strengthens our belief in this exciting clinical program, which also includes an ongoing clinical Phase II combination study with Sanofi’s anti-CD38 antibody Sarclisa (Isatuximab)", said XNK’s CMO Johan Aschan.

Precision BioSciences to Present Preclinical In Vivo Gene Editing Research at Upcoming American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy 25th Annual Meeting

On May 2, 2022 Precision BioSciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: DTIL), a clinical stage gene editing company developing ARCUS-based ex vivo allogeneic CAR T and in vivo gene editing therapies, reported that four abstracts, including one from a research and license collaboration, were accepted by the American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy (ASGCT) (Free ASGCT Whitepaper) and will be presented as posters and oral presentations at the upcoming annual meeting on May 16-19, 2022 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C (Press release, Precision Biosciences, MAY 2, 2022, View Source [SID1234613294]).

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Details for the poster and oral presentations can be accessed on the ASGCT (Free ASGCT Whitepaper) website at View Source

Oral Presentations:

Title: Targeting the Hepatitis B cccDNA with a Sequence-Specific ARCUS Nuclease to Eliminate Hepatitis B Virus In Vivo
Date and Time: Tuesday, May 17, 2022, 3:45 PM – 4:00 PM
Session Title: Gene Editing in Cancer and Complex Diseases
Location: Hall E
Abstract #: 447

Title: AAV-Meganuclease-Mediated Gene Targeting Achieves Efficient and Sustained Transduction in Newborn and Infant Macaque Liver1
Date and Time: Wednesday, May 18, 2022, 3:00 PM – 3:15 PM
Session Title: Presidential Symposium and Presentation of Top Abstracts
Location: Hall E
Abstract #: 811

Poster Presentations:

Title: Optimization of Hydroxyacid Oxidase 1 (HAO1) Targeting ARCUS Nucleases for the Treatment of Primary Hyperoxaluria Type 1 (PH1)
Date and Time: Monday, May 16, 2022, 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM
Session Title: Metabolic, Storage, Endocrine, Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases I
Location & Poster Board Number: Hall D, M-120
Abstract #: 239

Title: ARCUS Gene Editing to Eliminate MELAS-associated m.3243A>G Mutant Mitochondrial DNA
Date and Time: Tuesday, May 17, 2022, 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM
Session Title: Gene Targeting and Gene Correction II
Location & Poster Board Number: Hall D, Tu-66
Abstract #: 561

1 University of Pennsylvania’s Gene Therapy Program presentation sponsored by iECURE.

Intellia Therapeutics Presents Preclinical Data Demonstrating Advancements in its CRISPR-Engineered Allogeneic Platform at the 2022 Keystone Symposia’s Precision Genome Engineering Conference

On May 2, 2022 Intellia Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTLA), a leading genome editing company focused on developing potentially curative therapies leveraging CRISPR-based technologies, reported the presentation of new preclinical data from its differentiated allogeneic cell engineering platform at Keystone Symposia’s Precision Genome Engineering Conference, taking place April 27 – May 1, 2022, in Keystone, Colorado (Press release, Intellia Therapeutics, MAY 2, 2022, View Source [SID1234613310]). The data presented support the development of NTLA-6001, Intellia’s allogeneic CAR-T development candidate targeting CD30 for the treatment of CD30-expressing hematologic cancers, including relapsed or refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL).

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"We are pleased to present promising preclinical data that led to the nomination of Intellia’s wholly owned allogeneic development candidate, NTLA-6001, for CD30-expressing hematologic lymphomas. NTLA-6001 is the first candidate using our differentiated allogeneic platform, which leverages a novel combination of sequential, LNP-delivered gene edits to yield T cells shielded from immune rejection," said Intellia Chief Scientific Officer Laura Sepp-Lorenzino, Ph.D. "Our approach to engineering T cells aims to solve key immunological challenges to allogeneicity, while retaining cell attributes necessary for potent and durable tumor killing. We look forward to advancing NTLA-6001 toward IND-enabling activities."

The data shared at Keystone demonstrated that Intellia’s proprietary allogeneic solution created T cells that not only avoided immune recognition by host CD4 and CD8 T cells, but also were protected from NK cell-mediated killing in in vitro and in vivo mouse models. Furthermore, allogeneic T cells engineered sequentially with LNPs retained high viability, cell expansion, memory phenotype, cytotoxic and cytokine secretion characteristics. Intellia’s allogeneic platform can be deployed for TCR-T and CAR-T cell therapy.

As part of these platform advancement efforts, Intellia evaluated multiple CD30 CAR constructs in a series of in vitro and in vivo experiments. The most potent CAR construct showed complete tumor regression and protection from tumor rechallenge in a T cell lymphoma model. This lead allogeneic CAR-T cell candidate, NTLA-6001, is now in preclinical development for cHL and certain CD30+ T cell lymphomas. CD30, the target for NTLA-6001, is a cell surface protein that is often overexpressed in a variety of hematologic cancers, making it an important candidate for CAR-T cell therapy.

The presentation is available on Intellia’s website at www.intelliatx.com.

HAYA Therapeutics Announces Funding from Swiss Innovation Agency Supporting Research Collaborations for Long Non-Coding RNA Therapies

On May 2, 2022 HAYA Therapeutics, SA, a company developing precision medicines that target tissue and cell-specific long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), reported that Innosuisse, the Swiss Innovation Agency, is supporting two research collaboration projects between HAYA and the University of Bern, University Hospital of Bern and Lausanne University Hospital (Press release, Haya Therapeutics, MAY 2, 2022, View Source [SID1234613326]). Innosuisse is funding 50 percent of the total project costs of approximately CHF 3.1 million (US$3.3 million).

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The first project will advance HAYA’s lead program, an antisense oligonucleotide targeting the lncRNA Wisper, a cardiac tissue-enriched driver of fibrosis in the heart. In collaboration with the Department for BioMedical Research at University of Bern and the Department of Cardiology at University Hospital of Bern (Inselspital), the two-year project will be focused on dosing studies, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacokinetics for this first-in-class therapeutic target for the potential treatment of non-obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. The study also includes state-of-the-art cardiac MRI read-outs to provide evidence for efficacy and translatability of the therapeutic approach and advancing it towards the clinic and in-need patients.

"The whole team at HAYA is extremely excited to see our lead Wisper-targeting antisense compound being evaluated in a translationally relevant preclinical model of heart failure," said Daniel Blessing, Ph.D., Co-founder and CTO of HAYA Therapeutics. "Support from Innosuisse has been instrumental to enable this study and collaboration with the University and Inselspital Bern."

"As a pioneer in the field of lncRNA, HAYA has made significant progress in developing a novel treatment targeting lncRNA for hard-to-treat cardiac diseases," said Dr. Robert Rieben, Professor at the University of Bern. "With experience in preclinical cardiovascular research, we are excited to work with HAYA and support their efforts of bringing this therapy to patients who desperately need them."

HAYA’s second project will aim to develop a next-generation oncology therapy targeting cancer-associated fibroblasts for the treatment of squamous cell carcinoma. Through a partnership with Lausanne University Hospital (Centre hospitalier universitaire vaudois, CHUV), the collaborators will use HAYA’s proprietary drug discovery engine, DiscoverHAYATM, to identify oncology-associated fibroblast-specific lncRNAs for the development of a precision RNA-targeted therapy.

"Since launch, HAYA has been diligently working on bringing our lead lncRNA-targeting antisense candidate for the treatment of heart failure closer to clinical testing. At the same time, we have been conducting studies using our innovative discovery engine to identify novel lncRNA targets outside of cardiomyopathy," said Samir Ounzain, Ph.D., Co-founder and CEO of HAYA Therapeutics. "With this project funding from Innosuisse, we can continue our efforts in heart disease and use our technology beyond cardiology into cancer. This will open up tremendous opportunities in the discovery of oncology-based lncRNA targets."