Phase 1 trials of IGNX001, an IgG4 monoclonal antibody-based therapeutic candidate for peanut allergy, are scheduled to begin in Australia this September.
The trials will be conducted by US-based biotech company IgGenix in conjunction with Fiona Stanley Hospital, St Vincent’s Hospital, The Royal Melbourne Hospital and Monash Health.
Said Dr Michael O’Sullivan, an immunologist consultant for Fiona Stanley:
This is a really significant step forward in providing potential future treatment, which will actually take away that risk of having allergic reactions and anaphylaxis from accidentally eating peanuts.
24 healthy people ages 15-55 are being recruited for the trials in Melbourne, Sydney, and Perth. Participants will receive an injection of the therapeutic and be closely monitored for several months as doctors assess safety, proper dosage, potential side effects, and blood levels of protective antibodies.
Said IgGenix CEO Jessica Grossman, who likened the treatment as a “heat-seeking missile”:
[People with peanut allergies] make these bad fighter antibodies against peanut.
We start with those antibodies but we transform them, we re-engineer them into neutral, blocking antibodies.
At 30 days, we’ll give them a very small control dose of peanut to see if the drug is safe in the face of a peanut challenge and also if there’s any signal of effectiveness.
If all proceeds as expected, Dr Grossman believes subsequent trials of the new peanut therapy could be completed within five years. In the meantime, IgGenix is using their proprietary SEQ SIFTER platform — which was leveraged to create IGNX001 — to develop treatments for other food allergies starting with shellfish.
Said Dr Derek Croote, IgGenix Chief Technical Officer, in a recent press release:
At IgGenix, we’re developing revolutionary treatments for peanut and other severe allergies. These therapeutics are designed to offer an appealing alternative for allergic patients that want protection against allergen exposure in a matter of days instead of months. Our pioneering SEQ SIFTER discovery platform is also unlocking IgE biology in an unprecedented way and we are excited to be working with our fantastic European collaborators on this new direction.
Dr O’Sullivan said the platform may also offer hope for patients with many other types of allergies:
If it turns out to be effective for peanuts, the science behind this and the discovery of these specific antibodies from patients with peanut allergy can also be replicated for people who have got allergies to other nuts or to shellfish, milk or egg.
