IPA Announces Discovery
of Functional Antibodies from Humans and Llama (VHH), Identified
Using IPA Phage Display Technology
VICTORIA, BC, June 29, 2020 /CNW/ - IMMUNOPRECISE
ANTIBODIES LTD. (the "Company" or "IPA") (TSXV: IPA) (OTCQB: IPATF)
(FSE: TQB2), an experienced leader in full-service, therapeutic
antibody discovery and development, today announced the
identification of numerous lead candidate antibodies with
highly-potent neutralizing activity in vitro, which are
being manufactured for further testing and possible inclusion in
the Company's PolyTopeTM mAb Therapy to combat the
COVID-19 pandemic.
On March 12th, 2020,
ImmunoPrecise announced several preclinical programs currently
being undertaken to assist in the efforts against SARS-CoV-2.
Today's announcement updates the Company's progress on the
development of a PolyTope™ mAb therapy designed to treat severely
ill patients, as well as protect high-risk individuals such as
those exposed to the virus, front-line workers, the elderly, and
the immunocompromised.
ImmunoPrecise deployed several proprietary discovery platforms
that leveraged the immune systems of humans, llama, rabbits and
Ligand Pharmaceutical's (NASDAQ:LGND) OmniAbÒ genetically
engineered rats producing human antibodies. The neutralizing
antibodies announced today are the result of functional screenings
from the top 300 lead antibodies analyzed from the human and
llama campaigns. The Company has stated that functional analysis of
the remaining 1,300 lead antibodies from the rabbit and
OmniAbÒ rat campaigns were performed independently, and they
anticipate the release of the preliminary functional data screens
from these additional programs in the near future.
"Arriving at this critical point in our preliminary research
with many lead, functional therapeutic candidates is indicative of
the broad scientific scope of IPA's anti-COVID-19 programs," stated
Dr. Jennifer Bath, CEO and President
of IPA. "An effective cocktail therapy for COVID-19, targeting
multiple epitopes on the virus, could prove fundamental in
combating this pandemic in an effective and enduring way."
The Company's scientific approach has led to a diverse set of
lead antibody candidates, and thus far has generated many potently
neutralizing antibodies to multiple epitopes, supporting the
Company's aim of generating a therapeutic that retains efficacy,
even as SARS-CoV-2 continues to evolve. To further support the
Company's robust scientific approach, IPA is preparing to test
these lead antibodies against additional, documented, mutated
strains of the virus.
The Company anticipates pre-clinical studies will begin summer
2020.
Jennifer Bath, Ph.D., Chief
Executive Officer of ImmunoPrecise, has reviewed and approved the
scientific disclosure of this news release.
The use of therapeutics for humans in clinical trials will
require approval of the applicable government regulation agency,
e.g. The Company is not making any express or implied claims that
its product has the ability to eliminate, cure or contain COVID-19
(or SARS-CoV-2) at this time.
About ImmunoPrecise Antibodies Ltd.
ImmunoPrecise is a
full-service, therapeutic antibody discovery Contract Research
Organization offering species agnostic, multi-format, characterized
and engineered, human monoclonal antibodies, on an abbreviated
timeframe, for its pharmaceutical clients. For further information,
visit www.immunoprecise.com or contact
solutions@immunoprecise.com.
Forward Looking Information
This news release
contains statements that, to the extent they are not recitations of
historical fact, may constitute "forward-looking statements" within
the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. The Company
uses words such as "may", "would", "could", "will", "likely",
"expect", "believe", "intend" and similar expressions to identify
forward-looking statements. Any such forward-looking statements are
based on assumptions and analyses made by ImmunoPrecise in light of
its experience and its perception of historical trends, current
conditions and expected future developments. However, whether
actual results and developments will conform to ImmunoPrecise's
expectations and predictions is subject to any number of risks,
assumptions and uncertainties. Many factors could cause
ImmunoPrecise's actual results to differ materially from those
expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements contained in
this news release. Such factors include, among other things,
ImmunoPrecise may not be successful in the development of any
vaccine, therapy or diagnostic kits to be used in the prevention,
treatment or diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2, actual revenues and earnings
for IPA being lower than anticipated, potential adverse impacts due
to the global COVID-19 pandemic such as delays in regulatory
review, manufacturing and clinical trials, supply chain
interruptions and disruption of the global economy, and those risks
and uncertainties described in ImmunoPrecise's annual management
discussion and analysis for the previous quarter ended January 31, 2020 which can be accessed at
www.sedar.com. The "forward-looking statements" contained herein
speak only as of the date of this press release and, unless
required by applicable law, ImmunoPrecise undertakes no obligation
to publicly update or revise such information, whether as a result
of new information, future events or otherwise.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services
Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX
Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or
accuracy of this release. SOURCE ImmunoPrecise Antibodies
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SOURCE ImmunoPrecise Antibodies Ltd.