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FORNY20-FORNY2020

A novel therapeutic biologic for treatment of autoimmunity

Alternative title: En ny terapeutisk legemiddelkandidat for behandling av autoimmunitet

Awarded: NOK 5.0 mill.

Many autoimmune diseases are characterized by constitutive production of autoreactive antibodies that drive the pathogenesis. These are life-long diseases without known cure, and current treatment options include injection of large doses of steroids or pooled antibodies. Thus, there is an urgent need for safer and more specific therapies. Our laboratory is at the international forefront of studies on how antibodies are transported within and across cells, and we have used this in-depth knowledge to develop a specific lead therapeutic candidate. The candidate is a biologic that induces rapid degradation and clearance of antibodies in a state-of-the-art humanized mouse model. Very encouraging data strongly motivate further development and testing. In this verification project, we will carry out key experiments to validate the candidate, while also preparing the business plan for a new Norwegian biotechnology company. Importantly, the therapeutic biologic can be used to treat a range of diseases.

Funding scheme:

FORNY20-FORNY2020