Lonza and Asher Biotherapeutics to Collaborate on Manufacturing AB359

Lonza and Asher Biotherapeutics announced on April 7, 2022 that they have entered into a manufacturing agreement for a cis-targeted IL-2 immunotherapy, AB359. While conventional immunotherapies act on multiple cell types, cis-targeted immunotherapies selectively activate only the immune cell types that drive the desired therapeutic response. This results in reduced side effects and optimized activity through a new level of selectivity.

The manufacturing agreement outlines that Lonza will provide drug substance manufacturing for AB359 for preclinical and clinical testing, which will take place at Lonza’s Slough, UK site. AB359 is intended to broaden Asher Biotherapeutics’ application of cis-targeted immunotherapies for infectious diseases. The project will also reflect Lonza’s growing focus on biospecific antibodies and emerging biotechs.

“I’m looking forward to collaborating with Lonza on this program,” said Julie Trulson, head of CMC of Asher Bio, in a press release. “Lonza’s determination in implementing steady improvements, and offering its customers a more integrated experience, will be essential as we advance our cis-targeted immunotherapies closer to patients.”

“This collaboration marks our commitment and flexibility in tailoring our offering to the specific needs of emerging biotechs,” added Jeetendra Vaghjiani, executive director of clinical development and strategic marketing of Lonza. “Our teams have built the capabilities and experience, including more complex protein formats, to help take Asher Bio’s AB359 from development into the clinic.”

Source: Lonza