Momenta Acquires Antibody Program from AnaptysBio

Momenta Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has exercised its option to acquire a novel antibody program from AnaptysBio, gaining worldwide rights to therapeutic antibodies against a target selected based on the anti-inflammatory effects of IVIg. 
 
“We are pleased to have successfully achieved this milestone with Momenta and look forward to their advancement of the antibodies generated by AnaptysBio’s SHM-XEL platform. This program synergized AnaptysBio’s leadership in antibody development with Momenta’s understanding of the biology of IVIg to develop novel therapeutic options for patients suffering from autoimmune disease,” said Hamza Suria, president and chief executive officer of AnaptysBio. “The success of this program further affirms AnaptysBio’s industry-leading track-record in developing novel therapeutic antibodies against challenging first-generation therapeutic targets.”
 
“The antibodies generated by AnaptysBio allow us to further progress our development of a novel recombinant antibody for certain autoimmune disorders,” said Ganesh Kaundinya, Ph.D., chief scientific officer of Momenta Pharmaceuticals, Inc. “The target for the antibodies was selected based on Momenta’s research of the complex biology underlying the anti-inflammatory effects of IVIg.  As a result of this research, we engaged AnaptysBio to engineer a novel recombinant antibody that targets a specific biological pathway we believe is important for autoimmune diseases. We look forward to sharing more details of this program and our other lead programs in the autoimmune disease area at our R&D day in October.”