AstraZeneca, through MedImmune, its global biologics research and development arm, has formed a collaboration with Abpro, a Woburn, Massachusetts-based life-sciences company, to advance the development of a preclinical, bispecific antibody targeting angiopoietin-2 and vascular endothelial growth factor (Ang2-VEGF). The agreement is structured as a spin-out company named AbMed, which will be overseen by AbPro.

Several potential therapeutic areas will be explored where inhibition of the Ang2 and VEGF pathways, with this bispecific antibody, may provide clinical benefit. Under the agreement, AbMed, which will operate as a subsidiary of Abpro, will receive majority global development and commercialization rights to the program, and MedImmune will receive development, regulatory, and sales milestones and royalties as well as hold a minority equity stake in AbMed.

MedImmune engineered a bispecific antibody that demonstrated activity in animal models. AbPro brings scientific, technical, and clinical expertise to the new company, which includes AbPro’s core technology platform, DiversImmune, which will be used to further refine the antibody.

Source: MedImmune