xCella Biosciences, Inc.

DUBLIN, Oct. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Antibody Discovery Market: Focus on Services and Platforms - Distribution by Type of Service Offered, Antibody Discovery Method, Type of Antibody Generated, Nature of Antibody Generated, Therapeutic Areas and Key Geographies: Industry Trends and Global Forecasts, 2023-2035" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global antibody discovery services and platforms market is poised for significant growth, with a projected value of over $1.6 billion in 2023 and a forecasted Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 12.0% during the coming years. The market is driven by pharmaceutical companies' increasing reliance on outsourcing antibody discovery processes and the growing demand for targeted therapies. Streamlining Drug Development with Outsourcing The traditional drug development process is lengthy, spanning 10-15 years and involving investments of over $2 billion. Despite these efforts and investments, more than 90% of drug candidates fail in clinical trials. To streamline drug development, reduce timelines, and mitigate financial risks associated with failed trials, pharmaceutical companies are increasingly outsourcing their discovery-stage operations to specialized contract research organizations (CROs). Outsourcing allows companies to optimize resource utilization, save costs, and tap into a global network of scientific talent, ultimately enhancing the efficiency and success rate of bringing novel antibody-based therapeutics to market. Evolution of Monoclonal Antibodies Since the approval of the first monoclonal antibody-based therapy, Orthoclone OKT3, in 1986, monoclonal antibodies have become a versatile class of biopharmaceuticals. These antibodies have seen significant advancements in engineering, format diversification, and discovery methods. Over 160 monoclonal antibodies have been approved worldwide for the treatment of diseases such as cancer, chronic inflammatory diseases, infectious diseases, and cardiovascular diseases. Recent approvals include ELREXFIOT, TALVEYT, Rystiggo, COLUMVI, and EPKINLYT. Due to the complexities associated with discovering such antibodies, many firms are licensing and utilizing specialized antibody discovery platforms and technologies, driving the growth of the antibody discovery services and platforms market. Market Drivers: Biotech Advancements and Increasing Demand Key drivers of the global antibody discovery services and platforms market include recent advancements in biotechnology, a growing demand for targeted therapies, rising prevalence of chronic diseases, increased R&D expenditure in the pharmaceutical industry, and a growing trend of outsourcing antibody discovery. Collaborations between academic institutions and antibody discovery companies further contribute to market growth. Market Size and Segments The global market size for antibody discovery services and platforms is projected to grow at an annualized CAGR of 11.0% during the forecast period. The hit generation segment holds the largest market share, driven by its significance in R&D expenditure. In terms of the antibody discovery method, the hybridoma method is dominant, thanks to its capability to create immortalized cell lines for continuous antibody manufacturing. Regional Analysis: North America Leads North America currently captures nearly 40% of the market, driven by a rising interest in advanced antibody discovery platforms and increased outsourcing in the pharmaceutical industry. North America is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 12% during the forecast period. Key Players and Recent Developments Key players in the antibody discovery services and platforms market include Ablexis, Antibody Solutions, ChemPartner, GenScript, Genmab, Harbour BioMed, ImmunoPrecise, Mabsilico, and more. Recent developments in the field include the launch of transgenic mouse-based antibody discovery platforms and initiatives to support the discovery of bispecific antibody formats. Recent Developments: In June 2023, AbTherx announced the launch of its transgenic mouse-based antibody discovery platform, AtlasT Mice. In June 2023, Sanyou Biopharmaceuticals, a China-based company, launched its Sanyou Super Trillion Common Light Chain Antibody Discovery Platform, which supports the discovery of bispecific antibody formats. In January 2023, IASO Biotherapeutics raised USD 75 million in a venture series C round, highlighting the increasing funding activity in the antibody drug discovery service and platform domain. In March 2023, Twist Bioscience announced the launch of its antibody discovery services under the Twist Biopharma Solutions subsidiary after acquiring Abveris, an antibody discovery CRO, in 2022. Key Topics Covered: 1. PREFACE 2. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 3. ECONOMIC AND OTHER PROJECT SPECIFIC CONSIDERATIONS 4. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 5. INTRODUCTION 6. ANTIBODY DISCOVERY: PROCESS AND METHODS 7. ANTIBODY DISCOVERY SERVICE PROVIDERS: MARKET LANDSCAPE 8. COMPANY COMPETITIVENESS ANALYSIS 9. COMPANY PROFILES: ANTIBODY DISCOVERY SERVICE PROVIDERS 10. ANTIBODY DISCOVERY TECHNOLOGIES: MARKET LANDSCAPE 11. TECHNOLOGY COMPETITIVENESS ANALYSIS 12. COMPANY PROFILES: ANTIBODY DISCOVERY PLATFORM PROVIDERS 13. PARTNERSHIPS AND COLLABORATIONS 14. FUNDING AND INVESTMENT ANALYSIS 15. MARKET IMPACT ANALYSIS: DRIVERS, RESTRAINTS, OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES 16. GLOBAL ANTIBODY DISCOVERY SERVICES MARKET 17. ANTIBODY DISCOVERY SERVICES MARKET, BY TYPE OF SERVICE OFFERED 18. ANTIBODY DISCOVERY SERVICES MARKET, BY TYPE OF ANTIBODY DISCOVERY METHOD 19. ANTIBODY DISCOVERY SERVICES MARKET, BY NATURE OF ANTIBODY DISCOVERED 20. ANTIBODY DISCOVERY SERVICES MARKET, BY TYPE OF THERAPEUTIC AREAS 21. ANTIBODY DISCOVERY SERVICES MARKET, BY KEY GEOGRAPHIES 22. GLOBAL ANTIBODY DISCOVERY TECHNOLOGIES MARKET 23. ANTIBODY DISCOVERY TECHNOLOGIES MARKET, BY TYPE OF ANTIBODY DISCOVERED 24. ANTIBODY DISCOVERY TECHNOLOGIES MARKET, BY KEY GEOGRAPHIES 25. LICENSING DEAL STRUCTURE 26. SWOT ANALYSIS: ANTIBODY HUMANIZATION SERVICE PROVIDERS 27. CASE IN POINT: DRUG DISCOVERY PROCESSES OF TOP SELLING ANTIBODIES 28. FUTURE GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES IN ANTIBODY DISCOVERY 29. CONCLUSION 30. EXECUTIVE INSIGHTS 31. APPENDIX 1: TABULATED DATA 32. APPENDIX 2: LIST OF COMPANIES AND ORGANIZATION Companies Mentioned 2BScientific 3SBio AAT Bioquest Ab Initio Biotherapeutics Ab Studio ABBA Therapeutics AbBioSci Abbiotec AbbVie Abcalis Abcam AbCellera Abcentra (formerly CardioVax) Abcepta AbCheck Abclonal Abcore ABDYS Abeome Abexxa Biologics ABGENEX AbGenics Life Sciences Abilita Bio ABL Bio Ablexis Ablynx Abnova Abpro AbSano Absci Absea Biotechnology Absolute Antibody Abterra Biosciences AbTherx AbTis Abveris (Acquired by Twist Bioscience) AbVision Abwiz Bio Abzena Abzyme Therapeutics AC Immune Acceleron Pharma Accurus Biosciences AceMab Achaogen Aclys Bio ACROBiosystems ACYTE Biotech Adagene Adaptate Biotherapeutics ADC Therapeutics Adcentrx Therapeutics Adimab AdipoGen Life Sciences Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) Aduro Biotech AffinityImmuno AFSBio Aganitha Agency for Science, Technology and Research Agenus Agro-Bio AIMM Therapeutics Aimmune Therapeutics Akeagen Akeso Akeso Biopharma Alacrita Alamar Biosciences Aldevron Alector Alexion AlivaMab Discovery Services Alligator Bioscience Allogene Therapeutics Alloy Therapeutics Almirall AlpalifeBio ALSA Ventures Alvaxa Biosciences (Acquired by Sensei Biotherapeutics) ALX Oncology Alytas Therapeutics Amerigo Scientific Amgen AMSBIO Analytics Engine AnaptysBio Angios Annoron Biotechnology Antengene Antibodies Incorporated Antibodies-online Antibody Analytics Antibody Design Labs Antibody Production Services (A division of Life Science Group) Antibody Solutions Antiverse AP Biosciences Apexigen APITBIO Applied Biological Materials Applied StemCell AprilBio Aptevo Therapeutics Aragen Life Sciences Aravive Arctoris Arcus Biosciences argenx Aridis Pharmaceuticals aRNAy Sciences Aro Biotherapeutics Aronora Arsanis Artizan Biosciences Arvinas ARVYS Proteins AskGene Pharma Astellas AstraZeneca aTen Therapeutics Atlantis Bioscience Atlas Venture Atreca ATUM Aureka Aurigene Pharmaceutical Services Autolus Therapeutics Automated Lab Solutions AvantGen Aviva Systems Biology AxioMx Axxora Bayer BBI Group BBI Solutions Beckman Coulter BeiGene BenevolentAI Berkeley Lights Betta Pharmaceuticals Bhami's Research Laboratories Bhat Bio-tech India Big Cypress Acquisition BigHat Biosciences Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute Bio Bench BioArctic BioAtla BioBench Solutions Biochem Pharma BioClue (Acquired by ImmunoPrecise Antibodies) Bio-Connect Biocure Technology Biocytogen BioD BioDuro-Sundia Biogen BioHub International Trade Bioinborn Scientific Biointron BioInvent BioKey (Acquired by ImmunoPrecise Antibodies) Biologics International Biomolecular Discovery Services BioNTech Bioqube Ventures Bio-Rad Laboratories Biosion BioStrand (Acquired by ImmunoPrecise Antibodies) Biosynth Biotalys Bio-Techne Biotecnol BIOTEM BioTeZ Biotheus BioTickle BioVision BioXpress Therapeutics Bird Rock Bio Blue Sky BioServices (Acquired by LakePharma) BlueBird Bio Bluejay Therapeutics Boan Biotech Boehringer Ingelheim Bolt Biotherapeutics Boster Biological Technology Bristol Myers Squibb Broteio Pharma CALIXAR Cambridge Research Biochemicals CANbridge Pharmaceuticals Cancer Research UK Cantargia Capra Science Capralogics Caris Life Sciences Carterra CASI Pharmaceuticals Catalent Biologics Cayman Chemical CD ComputaBio CDI Laboratories Celexion Celgene Cell Signaling Technology Celltrion Celros Biotech Celsius Therapeutics Centre for Applied Medical Research Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Charles River ChemBio Discovery Solutions ChemPartner Cherry Biolabs Chia Tai Tianqing Pharmaceutical Chiome Bioscience Chipscreen Biosciences ChromoTek Chugai Pharmabody Research Chugai Pharmaceutical Cidara Therapeutics Cilag Citryll City of Hope Cizzle Biotechnology Clayton Biotechnologies Click Chemistry Tools Clinica Universidad de Navarra CliniSciences Columbia University Irving Medical Center Compass Therapeutics Context Therapeutics Coronavirus Immunotherapy Consortium Corvidia Therapeutics Cosmo Bio CP Qingdao Creative Bioarray Creative Biolabs Creative Biostructure Creative Diagnostics Crescendo Biologics Crystal Bioscience CSL Behring Cstone Pharmaceuticals CureVac Curia CUSABIO Cyclogenix Cygnus Technologies DAAN Biotherapeutics Daiichi Sankyo Dako Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Danaher DaTaMabs DBA Italia Deerfield Discovery and Development Denali Therapeutics DetaiBio Diagnostic BioSystems Diatheva Digital Proteomics Dingkang Biology discoveric bio Distributed Bio DJS Antibodies Dragonfly Therapeutics E2DG Eisai Elabscience Eli Lilly and Company Elpis Biopharmaceuticals Emergent BioSolutions Empirico e-nnovation Life Sciences ENPICOM Enthera Entos Pharmaceuticals Envigo EpimAb Biotherapeutics EQRx Erasmus MC Ethris Eureka Therapeutics Eurofins Discovery Everest Medicines Evitria Evotec EVQLV Exelixis ExeVir Bio Exiris exonbio Exscientia Faculta (Acquired by Prosci) FairJourney Biologics Faron Pharmaceuticals Ferring Pharmaceuticals FibroGen Five Prime Therapeutics Fluoroprobes Forty Seven Foundery Innovations Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research French Institute of Health and Medical Research Frugi Biotechnology Funakoshi Fusion Antibodies Fusion Pharmaceuticals G&P Biosciences G.CLIPS BIOTECH Gator Bio Genagon Therapeutics Gene Techno Science GeneBeyond Genedata GeneFrontier GENEWIZ (Acquired by Azenta Life Sciences) GeneX India Bioscience Genmab Genome Institute of Singapore Genor Biopharma GenoSafe Genovac GenScript Genuv Gen-Y Biologics GigaGen Gilead Sciences Gladstone Institutes Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Glythera Gmax Biopharm Government of British Columbia Government of Canada Green Mountain Antibodies Grenoble Hospital GSK Gustave Roussy GV20 Therapeutics HaemaLogiX Hangzhou Qiantang River Electric Harbour Antibodies Harbour BioMed Harpoon Therapeutics HD Biosciences Helix BioPharma Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals Henlix Biotech Heptares Therapeutics HI-Bio HiFiBiO Therapeutics Himalaya Therapeutics H-Immune Therapeutics (Acquired by HiFiBiO Therapeutics) HJB Holzel Diagnostika Handels Horizon Discovery Hualan Genetic Engineering Hubrecht Institute Humanigen Hummingbird Bioscience I&L Biosystems i2 Pharmaceuticals IAMA France IASO Biotherapeutics Ibex Biosciences iBio Icagen Icosagen IGEM Therapeutics IgGenix IGM Biosciences I-Mab Biopharma iMetabolic Biopharma Immatics Biotechnologies Immorna Immune Biosolutions Immune Pharmaceuticals Immunitas Therapeutics immunitoAI Immunochem ImmunoChina Pharmaceuticals ImmunoGenes Immunome Immunomic Therapeutics ImmunoPrecise Antibodies ImmunoQure Immusmol Immutep In-Cell-Art Incyte Indivumed InflaRx Inhibrx Innate Pharma InnoBation Bio Innovagen Innovative Targeting Solutions Innovent Inotiv InstaDeep Institute for Research in Biomedicine Intarcia Therapeutics (Acquired by i2o Therapeutics) Integral Molecular Integrated DNA Technologies International Livestock Research Institute Invenra Invetx IONTAS IRBM Isogenica Italian National Institute of Health ITBMed iTeos Therapeutics Janssen Jazz Pharmaceuticals Johnson & Johnson Innovation Jotbody Jounce Therapeutics Juno Therapeutics Junshi Biosciences Just Biotherapeutics JW Pharmaceuticals Kadmon Kairos Therapeutics KAKEN PHARMACEUTICAL Kanwhish Biotechnology KareBay Biochem Karolinska University Hospital Kemp Proteins KGbio Kite Pharma KMD Bioscience Kodiak Sciences KYinno Kymab Kyoritsuseiyaku Kyowa Kirin La Jolla Institute for Immunology LabGenius Labtoo LakePharma LamKap Bio LAMPIRE Biological Labs Lanier Biotherapeutics Lava Therapeutics Leadgene Biomedical Leading Biology Leads Biolabs LegoChem Biosciences Leica Microsystems LEO Pharma LG Chem LifeArc LifeTein Ligand Pharmaceuticals Light Chain Bioscience Lineage Cell Therapeutics Lonza Loxo Oncology Lunaphore Lundbeck Luye Pharma MAB Discovery MabGenesis Mablytics Mabpharm MAbSilico mAbsolve MabSpace Biosciences Mabtech MabVax Mabworks MacroGenics Magenta Therapeutics Maine Biotechnology Services Maravai LifeSciences Masaachusetts General Hospital Mass Biologics Maverick Therapeutics Beijing Mede Taikang Biotechnology MedAbome MedGenome Medicilon MedImmune Medix Biochemica MEDx MEMO Therapeutics Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Merck Merus Mila MI-mAbs Mithra Pharmaceuticals Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation Moderna ModeX Therapeutics ModiQuest Molcure Molecular Devices Molecular Templates MolMed Mologic Moradec MorphoSys Mount Sinai MSD MSM Protein Technologies Mycenax Biotech Myrio Therapeutics Mythic Therapeutics Nanjing Chia-Tai Tianqing Pharmaceutical Company Nanocarry Therapeutics NanoCellect Biomedical NanoString Technologies National Cancer Institute National Research Council of Canada's Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre National, Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute NaturalAntibody Nautilus Systems NB Health Laboratory NBE Therapeutics Nelum NeoBiotechnologies NeoClone Neon Therapeutics neoX Biotech Neurimmune Nexum Nidus MB Technologies Nidus BioSciences Nkarta Nona BioSciences Nordic Society of Gynaecological Oncology Normunity North Dakota State University Northway Biotech NovaRock Biotherapeutics Novartis Novo Holdings Novo Nordisk Numab Therapeutics NYU Langone Health Oak BioSciences Oblique Therapeutics Olympic Protein Technologies OmniAb OncoC4 OncoOne OncoResponse Oncothyreon Onena Medicines Ono Pharmaceuticals Open Monoclonal Technology Optimeos Life Sciences OREGA Biotech OriCell OriGene Technologies OriMAbs Orion OSE Immunotherapeutics Ossianix Oxford Biomedica OXGENE Pandion Therapeutics Panoply Bio Paragon Therapeutics Pascal Biosciences Pediatric Brain Tumor Consortium Penn Medicine PerkinElmer Perseus Proteomics Pfizer pH Pharma Phanes Therapeutics PharmAbcine PharmAbs PharmaEssentia Innovation Research Center PharmaLegacy Pharmsynthez Pierre Fabre Pinteon Therapeutics Pioneering Medicines Pionyr Immunotherapeutics Potenza Therapeutics Precision Antibody Prellis Biologics ProMab Biotechnologies Prometheus Authors Prosci Protein Alternatives Proteogenix ProteoNic ProtTech Purdue Pharma Pure Biologics PX'Therapeutics QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute QoolAbs Quadira Biosciences Queen's University Rallybio Rapid Novor RayBiotech RD Biotech ReCentrics Biotechnology Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Resonant Therapeutics Retrogenix RevMab Biosciences Revolve Biotechnologies Rezolute Roche Rockland Immunochemicals RubrYc Therapeutics Rx Biosciences RxBiologics SAb Biotherapeutics Saccharo Salipro Biotech San Diego Biomedical Research Institute Sanders Tri-Institutional Therapeutics Discovery Institute Sanofi Sanyou Biopharmaceuticals Sartorius SBH Sciences Scandion Oncology Scotia Biologics Sea Lane Biotechnologies Selecxine Sema4 Sensei Biotherapeutics Serum Institute of India Servier Severance Hospital Sevion Therapeutics Shanghai Henlius Biotech Shanghai KangaBio Shanghai Pidu Biotechnology Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry RAS Shire Sichuan Kelun-Biotech Biopharmaceutical Siegfried Holding Simcere Simon Fraser University Single Cell Technology Sino Biological Sinobioway Sinopharm SmartPharm Therapeutics Sorrento Therapeutics SOTIO SouthernBiotech Specialised Therapeutics Specifica Sphere Fluidics Stanford University Straterx Summit Therapeutics Sunshine Guojian Surface Oncology Surrozen Sutro Biopharma Suzhou Bright Scistar Biotechnology Company Syd Labs Symphogen Synaffix Synbio Technologies Syngene Synthelis Tachyon Therapeutics Takeda Tanabe Research Laboratories Tasgen Biotech (Acquried by I-Mab Biopharma) Tasly Biopharmaceuticals Taurus Biosciences TC BioPharm Technical University of Denmark Telesis Bio Telix Pharmaceuticals Tempus Labs TeneoBio TESARO Tetra Partner Network Tetragenetics Teva Pharmaceuticals TG Therapeutics The Antibody Company The Wistar Institute Theraclone Sciences Theranyx ThermoFisher Scientific Third Venture Biopharma ThromboGenics Tizona Therapeutics Tmunity Therapeutics Torch Biosciences TRACON Pharmaceuticals TRANSCENTA Transgene TRIANNI Tsinghua University Tubulis Twist Bioscience U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit No. 3 UCLA Technology Development Group Universiti Sains Malaysia University College London University of Manchester University of Oxford University of Pennsylvania University of Southampton University of Surrey University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center University of Tokyo University of Zurich U-Protein (Acquired by ImmunoPrecise Antibodies) Utrecht University Vaccinex ValenzaBio (Acquired by ACELYRIN) Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology Valneva VBI Vaccines VectorB2B venBio Partners VERAXA Biotech Vir Biotechnology ViralClear Pharmaceuticals Visterra Viva Biotech Voyager Therapeutics Washington University Washington University School of Medicine Westlake Pharmaceuticals Services Westlake Therapeutics Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation Worg Pharmaceuticals WuXi AppTec WuXi Biologics WuXi STA Wyss Institute XBiotech xCella Biosciences X-Chem Xencor XOMA Y- Biologics Yale Cancer Center Yangyang YenZym Antibodies Yinuoke Ymmunobio YUMAB Yurogen Biosystems Zai Lab Zebra Biologics Zhejiang Doer Biologics Zhejiang Teruisi Biopharmaceuticals Zoetis ZoonBio Biotechnology Zumutor Biologics Zydus Zymeworks For more information about this report visit About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. 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WATERTOWN, Mass., Nov. 15, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kala Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:KALA), a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of innovative therapies for diseases of the eye, today announced that it has acquired Combangio, Inc., a private, clinical-stage company developing regenerative biotherapies for severe ocular surface diseases. Combangio is developing CMB-012, a novel investigational secretome therapy, now known as KPI-012, to address the complex wound healing process in persistent corneal epithelial defect (PCED) and other severe ocular diseases driven by impaired corneal healing. “Today’s acquisition marks a pivotal moment for Kala and a meaningful acceleration toward our goal of strengthening Kala’s pipeline for the treatment of front and back of the eye diseases,” said Mark Iwicki, Chief Executive Officer of Kala. “KPI-012 is a highly innovative product, which leverages a multifactorial mechanism of action to address the complex process of healing severe corneal defects. KPI-012 is currently in development for PCED, with potential application across a wide range of orphan diseases of the eye. This product candidate is a natural fit with our R&D and commercial expertise, and along with our internal pipeline provides an additional opportunity to leverage our deep ophthalmic expertise to address substantial, underserved markets. We are excited to have completed the acquisition of Combangio and look forward to working alongside their talented team to integrate KPI-012 into our portfolio and ultimately deliver this therapy to transform the treatment of rare ocular surface diseases.” KPI-012 is a novel bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) secretome comprised of biomolecules secreted by MSCs, including protease inhibitors, growth factors and neurotrophic factors, processed into a topical ocular solution. KPI-012 is currently in clinical development for the treatment of PCED, which is defined as a persistent non-healing corneal defect or wound that is refractory to conventional treatments. It is a rare disease with an estimated incidence in the U.S. of 100,000 cases and 238,000 cases in the U.S., E.U. and Japan combined and KPI-012 has received Orphan Designation for the treatment of PCED by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). PCED can have various etiologies including neurotrophic keratitis, epithelial debridement, microbial/viral keratitis, corneal transplant, limbal stem cell deficiency and trauma, and can lead to corneal ulceration, perforation, scarring, infection and significant vision loss. In a Phase 1b clinical trial, seven of eight PCED patients treated with KPI-012 twice-daily showed improvement in their PCED, with six of the eight achieving complete healing during the treatment period, which ranged from one to eight weeks. Four of eight patients had complete healing within one week of treatment with the other two that achieved complete healing doing so within two to four weeks of initiation of treatment with KPI-012. All six of the healed patients remained healed through the end of follow-up, which ranged between eight and 19 weeks. There was also significant pain relief in the six patients who reported pain at baseline, with all six achieving a zero-pain score within three weeks of initiation of dosing with KPI-012. KPI-012 was well-tolerated in the trial with no treatment-related safety issues observed. “KPI-012 is an exciting addition to the Kala pipeline and is an important component of our strategy to develop novel therapies for significant unmet needs in ophthalmic diseases. People living with severe ocular surface diseases are in desperate need of new and better therapeutic options to not only provide symptomatic relief but to avoid the potential vision-threatening consequences of these diseases,” said Kim Brazzell, Ph.D., Chief Medical Officer of Kala. “The Phase 1b clinical data are very encouraging for PCED as well as for other rare ocular diseases that involve impaired corneal wound healing. We look forward to working together with our extensive network of corneal specialists to advance this program through clinical development and regulatory approval.” Kala plans to submit an investigational new drug (IND) application to the FDA and, subject to regulatory clearance, initiate a Phase 2/3 trial of KPI-012 in the third quarter of 2022. Kala believes this trial could serve as the first of two required pivotal trials. The FDA has granted KPI-012 orphan drug designation for the treatment of PCED and the Company believes KPI-012 should meet the criteria for fast-track and breakthrough designations. In addition to PCED, Kala is evaluating other orphan diseases driven by impaired corneal wound healing, such as thermal/chemical injury, corneal ulcers, ocular graft vs host disease, Stevens-Johnson syndrome and limbal cell deficiency, and is looking to initiate clinical evaluation for an additional indication after the IND submission and initiation of the PCED trial. In conjunction with the acquisition, Mark S. Blumenkranz, M.D., Chairman of Combangio, has been appointed to the Kala Board of Directors, and Darius Kharabi, President and Chief Executive Officer of Combangio, has been appointed as Chief Business Officer of Kala, both effective November 15, 2021. “I am delighted to join the Kala Board of Directors and look forward to working with the team in its ongoing efforts to advance Kala’s pipeline of innovative therapies for ocular diseases,” said Dr. Blumenkranz. “As an ophthalmologist, I am acutely aware of the unmet needs that continue to exist in the treatment of eye diseases and committed to supporting the development of innovative new medicines that can deliver better outcomes to patients. I have been excited about the potential of KPI-012 for many years and I am eager to partner with the Kala team, both to continue advancing this asset, and to support the development of Kala’s broader pipeline of programs for the front and back of the eye diseases.” Dr. Blumenkranz is an ophthalmologist and vitreoretinal surgeon who is Chairman and CEO of Kedalion Therapeutics. He is also H.J. Smead Professor Emeritus in the Department of Ophthalmology at Stanford University where he served as Chairman from 1997 to 2015. He is an internationally known vitreo-retinal specialist, with notable contributions in the area of new laser systems, novel pharmaceuticals for macular diseases, ocular gene therapy and ophthalmic tele-health and technology development. Over the course of his career, Dr. Blumenkranz held leadership roles at Oculex Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Allergan), Macusight (acquired by Santen), Peak Surgical (acquired by Medtronics), Optimedica (acquired by AMO), and Oculeve (acquired by Allergan), as well as Adverum, where he served as both co-founder and Chairman of the Board. He is also co-founder and served as a director of Verana Health for ten years, and currently serves as Managing Director of Lagunita Biosciences, a biotechnology and medical investment company and incubator in Menlo Park California.. Dr. Blumenkranz received his Undergraduate, Master’s in Biochemical Pharmacology, and M.D. at Brown University, completed his Ophthalmic residency training at Stanford University, and his Fellowship in vitreo-retinal diseases at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute. “On behalf of my colleagues at Combangio, we are extremely excited to join forces with Kala to accelerate the development of KPI-012 and deliver this novel therapy to people living with severe ocular surface diseases, beginning with PCED. Kala has the R&D and commercial expertise, as well as the established relationships with eye care professionals, to advance this program successfully through development and to market,” said Darius Kharabi, President and Chief Executive Officer of Combangio. “I look forward to working with the Kala leadership team in my new role as Chief Business Officer to help improve outcomes and quality of life for people suffering from debilitating ocular diseases.” Mr. Kharabi is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Combangio, as well as the co-founder of Lagunita Biosciences LLC, a biotechnology and medical investment company and incubator. He previously served in executive management for xCella and Kedalion, two Lagunita portfolio companies, helping to build early value, raise financing and recruit full-time leadership teams. Prior to Lagunita, he served as Vice President, Corporate Development and International Sales at OrthAlign Inc., a commercial stage orthopedic surgery navigation company, where his responsibilities included the launch of the KneeAlign® total knee arthroplasty navigation product line in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. Mr. Kharabi started his career as a biotechnology licensing attorney at Wilson, Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati PC. He received his B.S. in Biochemistry from Georgetown University and his J.D. and M.B.A. degrees from Stanford University.

Antibodies are part of the wave of new biological drugs that are bringing new treatment options for patients and blockbuster sales for companies. As a growing number of biopharma companies look to beef up their antibody discovery capabilities, Ligand Pharmaceuticals believes that its antibody technologies unit, which has developed internally for the past six years, is now ready to stand on its own. San Diego-based Ligand, which provides an array of technologies and services that biopharmaceutical industry customers use for drug discovery and development, announced plans for the spinoff of its OmniAb antibody unit after the market close Tuesday. The split will leave two publicly traded entities, each with a distinct business focus and base of customers. OmniAb will have to fend for itself, competing against AbCellera and Adimab, two established players in the antibody discovery space. The OmniAb platform that Ligand provides to its biopharmaceutical industry customers offers capabilities to find antibodies that have the potential for therapeutic applications. The platform is the product of a series of acquisitions, beginning in 2016 with the $178 million buyout of Palo Alto-based Open Monoclonal Technology (OMT), a company with antibody generation technology. The following year, Ligand paid $27.2 million to acquire Crystal Bioscience. In 2019, it bought the computational antigen technology company Ab Initio for $12 million. Last year, the company paid $12 million total for two privately held antibody discovery companies, xCella Biosciences and Taurus Biosciences. Speaking on a conference call, Ligand CEO John Higgins said that when his company acquired OMT, it only had 15 partners, all of them at the discovery stage. Currently, OmniAb has more than 50 partners spanning more than 200 programs. Nearly 20 of those programs are in clinical development. Disclosed partners include Amgen, Pfizer, and Takeda Pharmaceutical. By comparison, AbCellera Biologics has 33 disclosed partners that have begun 60 programs. The Vancouver, British Columbia-based company, which was founded in 2012, went public last year, raising $483 million. Lebanon, New Hampshire-based Adimab was founded in 2015. It has 80 partners, though a Ligand corporate presentation noted that the privately held company does not disclose how many programs have been started by those partners, nor does it say whether programs and partnerships are ongoing or have been terminated. The business model of Ligand revolves around striking deals. The company licenses its technologies, as well as some of its internally discovered drug programs, to other parties. Fees and milestone payments from these deals provide revenue. Additional dollars come from milestones payments and royalties paid to Ligand as discoveries and out-licensed products progress in their development. In 2020, Ligand reported $186.4 million in revenue, a nearly 55% increase over total revenue in the prior year. The company does not break out financials for the OmniAb unit, but the company said in the presentation that the antibody unit has nearly $1 billion in contracted milestones. Royalty revenue from an OmniAb antibody is coming soon. In August, authorities in China approved the Gloria Biosciences drug zimberelimab, a monoclonal antibody discovered with the OmniAb technology. The Gloria Bio drug is designed to block the checkpoint protein PD-1 to treat classical Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Ligand is set to receive royalties from product sales. A regulatory decision for another OmniAb-discovered antibody is expected by the end of the year. “Simply put, the OmniAb business is bigger, better, and further along than we expected just a few years ago,” Higgins said. OmniAb’s growth comes as antibody research progresses across the entire sector. In the corporate presentation, Ligand said that the antibody drug market is expected to grow from $150 billion today to more than $250 billion in five years. The company also noted that 42 antibodies are now blockbuster sellers, up from 36 two years ago. The Ligand board of directors has not yet approved a specific course of action for the antibody unit. But the tentative plan is for the business to conduct an IPO of new OmniAb shares. Matthew Korenberg, Ligand’s executive vice president of finance and chief financial officer, said on the call that preparations are underway to file the regulatory paperwork for an IPO. The IPO would consist of newly issued shares of OmniAb. In addition to the antibody business, the new company will include Icagen, the ion channels research assets that Ligand acquired last year. In the IPO, Ligand expects that OmniAb will issue less than 20% of its common stock. Ligand will retain the remaining shares, which will be distributed to Ligand stockholders. Reiterating that nothing firm has been decided, Matthew Foehr, Ligand’s president and chief operating officer, said that if Ligand proceeds with the IPO plans for OmniAb, the regulatory filing would be made “in the coming months.” Picture: mikdem, Getty Images