Published work highlights the preclinical development of BND-22, an anti-ILT2 multi-cell checkpoint inhibitor that enhances the anti-tumor activity of innate and adaptive immune cells

Also, first publication of a regulatory mechanism of the CD28/B7 immune stimulatory pathway, identifying CD28 shedding as a potential novel target for cancer therapeutics

MISGAV, Israel, July 09, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --  Biond Biologics Ltd. (“Biond” or the “Company”), a privately-held biopharmaceutical company, developing novel immunotherapies for cancer and a platform enabling the intracellular delivery of biologics, today announced that data highlighting the development of BND-22, a first-in-class anti-Ig-like transcript 2 (ILT2) antibody, and CD28 shedding as a novel cancer immunotherapy target, were presented at the 2020 American Association of Cancer Research (AACR) Virtual Annual Meeting II, held June 22-24, 2020.

Details of the presentations are as follows:

Title: BND-22, a first-in-class, anti-ILT2 monoclonal antibody inhibits the immunosuppressive effects of HLA-G and enhances anti-tumor activity of immune cells in preclinical in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo models
Session: Immune Checkpoints 3
Poster Number: 3266
Presentation Type: E-poster
https://www.abstractsonline.com/pp8/#!/9045/presentation/8499

Title: CD28 shedding is a novel immune-regulatory mechanism found in cancer patients which directly inhibits anti PD-1 effect
Session: Tumor-immune System Interactions 2
Poster Number: 2846A
Presentation Type: E-poster
https://www.abstractsonline.com/pp8/#!/9045/presentation/9307

“We were excited to present these data at the 2020 AACR, further demonstrating our team’s ability to discover novel immuno-regulatory targets and develop novel therapies for cancer patients,” said Tehila Ben Moshe, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer and Chairperson at Biond. “We believe ILT2, an inhibitory receptor expressed on innate and adaptive immune cells, is an emerging immuno-oncology target and that its blockade may result in a broad anti-tumor effect mediated by macrophages, NK and CD8⁺ lymphocytes. We look forward to exploring the clinical potential of ILT2 blockade in the upcoming, first-in-human clinical trial of our lead drug candidate BND-22.”

Jeff Weber, M.D., Ph.D., Deputy Director, Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Langone Medical Center, and member of Biond’s Scientific Advisory Board added, “The data indicating that proteolytic cleavage and subsequent shedding of the critical CD28 immuno-regulatory receptor results in inhibition of CD8 lymphocytes is exciting, as it may represent an important mechanism by which resistance to PD-1 blockade therapies develops. I am hopeful that this discovery may lead to the development of novel therapeutics for patients who have failed anti-PD-(L)1 therapy, a major unmet need in the treatment of multiple tumor types.”

Poster copies are available online at http://www.biondbio.com/.

About Biond Biologics

Biond Biologics is a drug discovery and development company focused on developing innovative therapies for novel oncology targets by uncovering immunoregulatory pathways and by enabling the intracellular delivery of biologics. Biond aims to translate high quality science and out-of-the-box, disruptive thinking into transformational drugs for diseases with high unmet needs. The company’s vision is to deliver innovative medicines to patients while fostering synergistic long-term collaborations with leading biopharmaceutical companies.

Biond’s pipeline is based on internal research of newly discovered immune-checkpoints and immune-evasion mechanisms. Biond’s leading development programs include BND-22, a first-in-class multi-cell checkpoint inhibitor targeting ILT2, and BION-206, a novel agent developed for overcoming PD-1 blockade resistance by targeting soluble CD28; an immune evasion mechanism discovered by Biond scientists.

In addition to its pipeline of immunotherapy agents, Biond is developing an innovative and robust technological platform that enables the intracellular delivery of biologic agents into cells. The platform is based on a chemically modified carrier protein that can be conjugated to protein therapeutics, such as antibodies or enzymes, and is designed to deliver the conjugated therapeutic inside cells thus providing access to numerous, critical disease targets currently considered “undruggable”. Biond anticipates that its biologics intracellular delivery platform will feed its growing pipeline and generate multiple partnership opportunities.

For more information, please visit www.biondbio.com.

About BND-22

BND-22 is a humanized IgG4, antagonist antibody targeting the Ig-like transcript 2 (ILT2) receptor in development for the treatment of solid tumors. ILT2, a member of the ILT family of immuno-modulating receptors, is an inhibitory receptor expressed on both innate and adaptive immune cells that binds HLA-G, an immunosuppressive protein expressed by multiple tumor types. BND-22 has been shown in preclinical studies to have a broad anti-tumor effect by targeting ILT2 mediated “do not eat me” signals in macrophages and by activating NK and CD8⁺ lymphocytes. The program is supported by a comprehensive biomarker strategy designed to guide patient enrollment in advanced clinical trials. The safety, tolerability, and anti-tumor activity of BND-22 will be explored in a first-in-human clinical trial in cancer patients with tumor types known to express HLA-G.

Company Contact:
Itay Friedman, M.D.
VP Clinical Development
Biond Biologics Ltd.
+972-4 884 4337
itay@biondbio.com