Arsanis, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing targeted monoclonal antibodies for pre-emptive and post-infection treatment of serious infectious diseases, and Adimab, LLC, the global company involved in the discovery and optimization of fully human monoclonal and bispecific antibodies, have entered into an agreement under which Arsanis has secured the exclusive, worldwide license to antibodies targeting respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) that were discovered by Adimab. Arsanis will initially focus on the selection of a lead RSV antibody candidate and has received a grant of up to $9.3 million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to advance the selected antibody to IND filing.
“Arsanis’ partnerships with Adimab and the Gates Foundation will allow us to apply our deep expertise in the discovery and development of anti-infective antibodies to advance highly potent human monoclonal antibodies for the prevention of RSV infection,” said Rene Russo, Pharm.D., BCPS, President and Chief Executive Officer, Arsanis. “We believe this approach has the potential to address a significant global need for effective and accessible RSV therapeutics in both developed and developing countries.”
Under the agreement with Adimab, Arsanis has exclusively licensed a panel of RSV antibodies for the purpose of evaluating and selecting the best therapeutic leads under an exclusive global development and commercialization license. Adimab will be entitled to receive license fees and development milestones, as well as a royalty on net sales.
“We are very pleased that Arsanis and the Gates Foundation are collaborating on this important program. Through our B cell isolation approach, Adimab has identified highly potent antibodies against a number of infectious disease targets. The RSV antibodies licensed to Arsanis include some of the most potent RSV neutralizers reported to date,” said Guy Van Meter, VP of Business Development at Adimab. “This new agreement expands an already successful relationship with Arsanis, under which Arsanis’ lead program ASN100 for S. aureus pneumonia, currently in a Phase 2 clinical study, was discovered.”