Engineering multi-functional protein biologics through PAL-mediated hydrazide ligation

Attributed to the -effects, hydrazides are nucleophilic despite being non-basic. Herein, we report that the hydrazide nucleophiles are effective acyl acceptors in the ligation reactions catalyzed by peptidyl asparaginyl ligases (PALs). Because hydrazides are easily functionalizable, hydrazide ligation is highly versatile. Interestingly, the linkages formed with the hydrazide substrates have varying degrees of liability toward the PAL enzyme, with some being remarkably resistant and thus ensuring nearly irreversible ligation. Using the hydrazide ligation method, we labelled an EGFR-targeting affibody-Fc fusion protein with various functional moieties to generate selective and potent cancer-imaging and therapeutic agents. Irreversible hydrazide ligation also allowed a sequential ligation scheme to be conducted on a protein. Using this scheme, quadruple FITC labels were introduced onto the N- and C-termini of the affibody-Fc protein to yield a bi-specific engager for Car-NK cell therapy. Our work expands the substrate scope of PAL enzymes and further point to their promise as a precision manufacturing tool for multi-functional protein biologics.

Comparison of Three Complementary Analytical Techniques for the Evaluation of the Biosimilar Comparability of a Monoclonal Antibody and an Fc-Fusion Protein

In this work, a monoclonal antibody, adalimumab, and an Fc-fusion protein, etanercept, were studied and compared to one of their biosimilars. Samples submitted to stress conditions (agitation and high temperature) were used for method development. The developed methods were also applied to samples reduced by beta-mercaptoethanol to evaluate their capability to distinguish the expected species. Capillary gel electrophoresis (CGE), reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RPLC), and size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) methods coupled with UV detection were used to analyze the biopharmaceuticals. Their complementarity was investigated. For further molecular weight determination, SEC-multi angle light scattering and RPLC-quadrupole time-of-flight were occasionally used. For adalimumab, a larger amount of fragments and aggregates was observed in the biosimilar compared with the reference product. For etanercept, more related species were found in the reference product. Those three separation techniques showed good complementarity. Indeed, RPLC enabled the separation of hydrophilic and hydrophobic degradation products. CGE provided good selectivity for several adalimumab fragments, and SEC was useful for the analysis of aggregates and certain fragments that cannot be separated by the other approaches. Moreover, those formulations were submitted to mild stress conditions (30°C, 300 rpm for 4 h) that mimic shipping conditions. No additional peak was found under these conditions for the two studied biopharmaceuticals.

Gene Expression after Hemarthrosis Differs between FVIII-Deficient Mice Treated with Recombinant FVIII or FVIII-Fc Fusion Protein

Introduction Local and systemic molecular responses to hemarthroses in hemophilia are not well understood. Emerging clinical evidence suggests that treatment with FVIII-Fc Fusion protein (FcFVIII), using the Fc-portion of immunoglobulin for half-life extension, may mitigate joint inflammation and modulate immune stimulation. We analyzed gene expression profiles in synovium and spleen (a major immune regulatory organ) in FVIII-deficient mice at baseline and after hemarthrosis treated with recombinant human FVIII (rhFVIII) or murine (m)FcFVIII to characterize the respective differences and molecular pathways for each FVIII preparation. Methods Hemarthrosis was induced by sub-patellar needle puncture in FVIII-deficient mice treated with saline (vehicle), 100 IU/kg mFcFVIII (Fc murine due to species specificity) or 120 IU/kg rhFVIII (to account for differences in t 1/2) administered intravenously 2 hours before and 6 hours after injury. Spleen and synovium were harvested on day 3 or day 14 post-injury (n=3-5 per group). Spleen and synovium from uninjured mice served as controls. RNA libraries were prepared using the NEBNext Ultra II Directional RNA Library Prep Kit and sequenced on an Illumina NextSeq500 platform (single-end; 75bp reads). The limma-voom method (R Bioconductor) was used for differential expression analyses. The criteria for differential expression were: i) a log fold-change (logFC) >1 or <-1, and ii) an adjusted p value <0.05. Functional enrichment was performed using Signaling Pathway Impact Analysis (SPIA). Molecular pathways were analyzed using Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and Reactome pathway databases. Results Knee injury in FVIII-deficient mice resulted in hemarthrosis and a drop in mean hematocrit from 44.7% to 27.5% (saline), which was prevented by rhFVIII and mFcFVIII prophylaxis (mean day 2 hematocrit ~45%). In the spleen, differential gene expression (DGE) in saline treated mice was pronounced but fleeting with 5295 and 9 differentially expressed genes (DEG) on day 3 and 14. DGE was abrogated by either rhFVIII or mFcFVIII, without significant expression differences between rhFVIII and mFcFVIII at the single gene level. However, differences were noted between rhFVIII and mFcFVIII during KEGG pathway analyses, where rhFVIII predominantly perturbed pathways related to inflammation, T-cell signaling and innate immune regulation, while mFcFVIII perturbed pathways related to B-cell signaling and cellular homeostasis. In the synovium, DGE in saline treated mice was also pronounced on day 3 (3388 DEG) but, in contrast to the spleen, continued on day 14 (1030 DEG). Unlike in the spleen, DGE was not fully corrected with rhFVIII or mFcFVIII; moreover, gene expression differed between rhFVIII and mFcFVIII. This was particularly evident on day 14, with a partial reduction to 603 and 294 differentially expressed genes with rhFVIII and mFcFVIII, respectively. Only 163 genes overlapped, whereas 440 were unique to rhFVIII and 131 to mFcFVIII. A comparison between gene expression with rhFVIII and mFcFVIII yielded that ≥ 2 log-fold expression difference was present for 74 genes, with 72 genes upregulated with rhFVIII relative to mFcFVIII. Many of these genes are involved in pathways related to innate and adaptive immune responses, cell cycle regulation and extracellular matrix organization in the Reactome database. This response was dampened by mFcFVIII. Conclusions Joint bleeding in hemophilic mice induced pronounced systemic and synovial gene expression, which was diminished by rhFVIII or mFcFVIII. However, while there were many similarities with regard to regulation of gene expression and/or molecular pathways, there were also notable differences, especially involving immune regulatory, inflammatory and tissue repair functions. These observations provide new molecular insights regarding Fc-driven effects of FVIII after hemarthrosis, suggesting that the type of FVIII preparation used for bleed control may have implications beyond hemostasis. Disclosures von Drygalski: Hematherix, Inc: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Patents & Royalties: Super FVa; uniQure: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Novo Nordisk: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Pfizer: Research Funding; Takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; CSL Behring: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Biomarin: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Genentech: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Sanofi: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau.

380 GS-3583, a novel FLT3 agonist Fc fusion protein, expands conventional dendritic cells in healthy volunteers

BackgroundConventional dendritic cells subtype 1 (cDC1) play a vital role in the priming and expansion of tumor specific CD8+ T cells and their recruitment to tumor microenvironment (TME). However, cDC1s are often underrepresented in the TME. Systemic administration of Fms-like tyrosine kinase 3 ligand (FLT3L), a hematopoietic growth factor that binds to FLT3 on myeloid and lymphoid progenitor cells, leads to expansion of cDC1s in the periphery which can then be recruited into the TME. FLT3 pathway stimulation using GS-3583, a novel FLT3 agonistic Fc fusion protein, has the potential to promote T cell mediated anti-tumor activity. We sought to evaluate the pharmacodynamic (PD) effect of a single dose of GS-3583 in healthy volunteers alongside its safety. Herein, we present the updated results of the study.MethodsThis was a first-in-human, placebo-controlled study of GS-3583 in healthy volunteers to evaluate the safety, pharmacokinetics (PK), and PD of escalating single doses (ranging from 75 micrograms to 2000 micrograms) of GS-3583. The study was blinded to the subjects and the investigator. Each dose cohort enrolled 8–12 healthy subjects who received GS-3583 or placebo as single IV infusion at 3:1 ratio. Subjects were observed in the phase 1 unit for 15 days and then for 12 weeks as outpatients. As part of the PD evaluation, we investigated the changes in the number of cDC1 and cDC2 cells.ResultsAs of 2nd July 2021, selected safety, PK and PD data from all 4 cohorts were available. GS-3583 was well tolerated and all subjects had been discharged. To date, there have been no serious or grade 3 or higher adverse events. Preliminary PK analysis suggested dose-dependent increase in GS-3583 exposure (AUC and Cmax). Preliminary PD analysis shows that administration of GS-3583 resulted in temporary, dose-dependent increases in cDC1/cDC2 cells that peaked between days 5–11 (higher doses resulted in later peaks) and returned to baseline within 3 weeks of drug administration (table 1, figure 1).Abstract 380 Table 1Selected subject characteristics and pharmacodynamic resultsAbstract 380 Figure 1A) Comparison of cDC1 cell quantitative changes in cohorts 1–4; B) Comparison of cDC2 cell quantitative changes in cohorts 1–4ConclusionsGS-3583 infusion was well tolerated and induced dose dependent expansion of dendritic cells in the periphery in healthy volunteers. In patients with cancer, this increase in dendritic cells can be utilized to enhance anti-tumor therapeutic effects of immuno-oncology therapies.AcknowledgementsFunding provided by Gilead Sciences, Inc.Ethics ApprovalThe study received study site IRB/Ethics Committee approval prior to enrollment of subjects.

438 A phase 1 trial of CUE-101, a novel HPV16 E7-pHLA-IL2-Fc fusion protein, alone and in combination with pembrolizumab in patients with recurrent/metastatic HPV16+ head and neck cancer

BackgroundImmuno-STATsTM are novel, modular fusion proteins designed to selectively activate tumor-antigen-specific CD8+ T cells. CUE-101 is comprised of a human leukocyte antigen (HLA) complex, HLA-A*0201, a peptide epitope derived from the HPV16 E7 protein, and 4 molecules of a reduced affinity human interleukin-2 (IL-2) and is designed to bind and activate HPV16-specific T cells for treatment of HPV16-driven cancers. In preclinical studies CUE-101 demonstrated selective binding, activation, and expansion of HPV16 E7-specific CD8+ T cells, and a murine surrogate activated anti-tumor immunity.1MethodsCUE-101-01 is a first-in-human study in HLA-A*0201 positive patients with HPV16+ recurrent/metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (R/M HNSCC). Safety of escalating monotherapy and combination doses was evaluated to establish the recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D) for expanded enrollment. Patients with R/M HNSCC refractory to 1 or more prior platinum or pembrolizumab based systemic treatments received CUE-101 monotherapy, and patients with R/M HNSCC and PD-L1 tumor expression received combination CUE-101 and 200 mg pembrolizumab as first line treatment. Study treatment was administered intravenously every 3 weeks until progression or toxicity. Objectives included evaluation of safety, pharmacokinetics (PK), pharmacodynamics (PD), and antitumor activity.ResultsAs of June 30, 2021, 39 patients have received CUE-101 monotherapy ranging from 0.06 to 8 mg/kg. The maximum tolerated dose (MTD) was not identified. Based on PK, PD and clinical data, a monotherapy RP2D of 4 mg/kg was selected. The combination cohort of 1 mg/kg CUE-101 and pembrolizumab has been tested and dose escalation is ongoing. Adverse events have included CTCAE grade 2 or less fatigue (41%), anemia (31%), lymphopenia (24%), chills (21%), decreased appetite (19%) and dyspnea (17%). CUE-101 PK data demonstrate dose-dependent increases in drug exposure that are sustained upon repeat dosing. PD data demonstrate dose-dependent expansion of HPV-16 E711-20-specific CD8+ T cells, sustained increase in natural killer cells and transient increase in Treg cells. An increase in CD3+ GZMB+ tumor infiltrating T cells was observed in tissue following treatment with CUE-101 in one patient with available pre- and post-treatment biopsies. One patient at the CUE-101 monotherapy RP2D has an ongoing partial response and 8 of 33 patients have experienced stable disease ≥ 12 weeks based on RECIST 1.1 criteria.ConclusionsCUE-101 is a novel immunotherapeutic demonstrating acceptable safety and tolerability with encouraging PD signals, supporting selective activation of tumor-specific T cells, and promising antitumor activity. Enrollment continues in both monotherapy and combination cohorts.AcknowledgementsThe authors would like to thank all the patients who are participating in this study. The study is sponsored by Cue Biopharma.Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT03978689ReferencesQuayle SN, Girgis N, Thapa DR, et al. CUE-101, a Novel HPV16 E7-pHLA-IL-2-Fc fusion protein, enhances tumor antigen specific T cell activation for the treatment of HPV16-driven malignancies. Clin Cancer Res 2020;26:1953–64.Ethics ApprovalThis study was approved by Ethics and Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) at all study sites. IRB reference numbers: Advarra Pro00037736 (Moffitt Cancer Center), IRB 52744 (Stanford University School of Medicine), IRB 191714 (Vanderbilt University Medical Center Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center), HRPO# 201905108 (Washington University School of Medicine), 2019–087 Karmanos Cancer Institute, DF/HCC IRB# 19-374 (Massachusetts General Hospital), WIRB 2000026098 (Yale Cancer Center), WIRB 1908869642 (University of Arizona Cancer Center), WIRB STUDY00008948 (University of Washington, Seattle), IRB(IRBMED) HUM00165746 (University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center), WIRB IRB00112341(Winship Cancer Institute/Emory University), 2019–0578 (The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center), IRB 20-073 (Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center), IRB00255391 (Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine).

Risk of Malignancy and Tuberculosis of Biological and Targeted Drug in Patients With Spondyloarthritis: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Objective: Concerns exist regarding the potential development of malignancy and tuberculosis in patients with spondyloarthritis (SpA) treated with biologics. We assessed the extent to which biologic therapy may increase the risk of malignancy and tuberculosis in patients with SpA by meta-analysis to derive estimates of sparse harmful events occurring in Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs).Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed, EMbase, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, and China Biology Medicine disc for RCTs evaluating the risk of sparse harmful events of biologic therapy in patients with SpA from inception through August 9, 2021. We calculated a pooled Peto OR for malignancy and tuberculosis in biologics-treated patients vs. placebo patients. The risk of bias on the included RCTs was assessed by using Cochrane Risk of Bias tool.Results: In total, 63 studies were included in this meta-analysis, and 83 patients and 7 patients developed malignancy and tuberculosis, respectively. Overall, the risk of malignancy and tuberculosis was increased in SpA patients treated with biologics compared to placebo (malignancy: Peto OR: 2.49, 95%CI: 1.61–3.87, p < 0.001; tuberculosis: Peto OR: 5.98, 95%CI: 1.29–27.76, p = 0.022). Remarkably, compared to placebo, there was higher risk of malignancy for IL-17 inhibitors (Peto OR: 3.68, 95%CI: 1.20–11.30, p = 0.023) and small molecule targeted drugs (Peto OR: 3.08, 95%CI: 1.37–6.90, p = 0.043) in peripheral SpA, and for TNF receptor-Fc fusion protein in axial SpA (Peto OR: 7.18, 95%CI: 1.21–42.69, p = 0.030). Besides, the risk of tuberculosis was higher for anti-TNFα antibody in axial SpA (Peto OR: 6.17, 95%CI: 1.03–37.13, p = 0.046).Conclusion: This meta-analysis showed an elevated risk of malignancy in patients with peripheral SpA treated with biologics, especially for IL-17 inhibitors, and small molecule targeted drugs, a slightly increased risk of malignancy in TNF receptor-Fc fusion protein in axial SpA, and increased risk of tuberculosis in patients with axial SpA treated with anti-TNFα antibody. These findings need to be validated by studies with larger population and longer follow-up.

Az akadémiai-ipari együttműködések szerepe a gyógyszerfejlesztésben pandémia idején

Összefoglaló. Egészen az ezredfordulóig a gyógyszeripari kutatás-fejlesztés világszerte hagyományosan nagyvállalati keretek között folyt. Az elmúlt évtizedekben azonban ebben a szegmensben jelentős átrendeződések tapasztalhatók, ugyanis a korai kutatási és fejlesztési projektek sok esetben már az egyetemi-akadémiai, illetve kkv-szektorból indulnak. A szervezeti keretek mellett a fejlesztések szakmai tartalma is változott, a hagyományos kismolekulás gyógyszerek mellett egyre meghatározóbb szerep jut a biológiai terápiáknak, valamint a hatóanyagok fejlesztése mára összekapcsolódott a releváns diagnosztikumok fejlesztésével. A projektek finanszírozásában is fontos változások történtek, egyre jelentősebb szerep jut az állami KFI finanszírozásnak és a (kockázati) tőkebefektetéseknek. A gyógyszeripari K+F szakmai, szervezeti és finanszírozási kereteinek változása jelentősen felértékelte és szélesítette a korábban is meglévő akadémiai-ipari kapcsolatokat. Az együttműködések fontos szerepet játszanak a COVID–19 járványra adott válaszokban is, amit a magyar egyetemek, kutatóintézetek, kis- és középvállalatok, valamint gyógyszeripari nagyvállalatok részvételével indult kutatások igazolnak. Summary. Until the turn of the millennium, pharmaceutical research and development worldwide had traditionally taken place in pharmaceutical companies. In recent decades, however, significant rearrangements have been witnessed, as early-stage research and development projects often start at the universities or the academic and SME sectors. In addition to the organizational framework, the professional content has also changed: in addition to traditional small molecule drugs, biological therapies are playing an increasingly important role, and the development of active ingredients is now linked to the development of relevant diagnostics. Important changes have also taken place in the financing of projects, with public RDI financing and (venture) capital investments playing an increasing role. Changes in the professional, organizational and funding frameworks for pharmaceutical R&D have significantly enhanced and broadened existing academic-industrial relations. Collaborations also play an important role in the responses to the COVID-19 epidemic, as evidenced by research involving Hungarian universities, research institutes, small and medium-sized enterprises, and large pharmaceutical companies. The first example is a collaboration of an academic research group and a spin-off company formed from this environment. Researchers of the Eötvös University (ELTE) and others working at the Research Centre for Natural Sciences (RCNS) applied phage display technology to discover new protease inhibitors. They established EvolVeritas Ltd, a spin-off company developing high affinity and high specificity inhibitors of the TMPRSS2 protease that is involved in the SARS-CoV-2 viral entry to host cells. In a parallel research program, the same consortium is working on new inhibitors of the MASP2 protease contributing to the coronavirus mediated activation of innate immunity, particularly the complement system. This latter approach would result in the effective control of microthrombosis events associated with serious COVID-19 infections. Both of the approaches are in the early preclinical phase and further investment would be needed to push these projects into clinical testing. The second example is a collaboration between an academic research group and an SME to reposition of azelastine, an approved antihistamine drug that was found to be effective in blocking SARS-CoV-2 mediated pathogenesis. After successful preclinical studies, the partners have now initiated clinical trials to demonstrate the efficacy of azelastine nasal drops in the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 infections. The third example is a collaboration of academic research groups, a SME and a pharmaceutical company. This consortium develops an antibody-like fusion protein therapeutics that can neutralize the SARS-CoV-2 virus. One component of the ACE2-Fc fusion protein is the relevant portion of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) produced by recombinant technologies, which binds to the spike protein of the pathogen. The virus thus binds to the fusion protein instead of the ACE2 receptors in human cells. Another component is responsible for the long half-life of IgG, the so-called Fc region. The consortium confirmed that the ACE2-Fc fusion protein inhibits SARS-CoV-2 infection in cell culture, and prevents disease in experimental animals. Preclinical development and the preparation of the core documentation is ongoing, which will soon be submitted to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) to initiate clinical trials. The final example is a joint development project that involved a research group, an SME and two pharmaceutical companies. The objective of this program is process development and pharmaceutical formulation of favipiravir, a broad-spectrum antiviral with a treatment potential against COVID-19. The consortium completed the process development of the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and developed finished dosage formulations available for clinical testing. Clinical trials are ongoing that aim investigating safety and efficacy of favipiravir in COVID-19 infected patients. All of the examples described here demonstrate the power of collaborations that helped the participants to give diverse and effective responses to the unprecedented pandemic challenge of COVID-19. We believe that these experiences would encourage the members of the academic and industry community to formulate further collaborations to tackle the unmet medical need in our societies.