COPD in Focus: Current Challenges and New Horizons in Treatment with Biocytogen’s Antibody Innovation

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a debilitating respiratory condition that affects millions of lives worldwide. Characterized by airflow obstruction caused by chronic bronchitis and/or emphysema, COPD manifests through symptoms such as shortness of breath, excessive mucus production, and coughing (Mayo Clinic, 2023). Its prevalence continues to rise due to aging populations, smoking, and worsening air pollution.

COPD is highly heterogeneous, varying significantly among patients (Roca et al., 2014). Chronic inflammation in the airways causes swelling, narrowing the airway lumen, and impairing respiration. The lungs, consisting of hundreds of millions of elastic alveoli, rely on their natural stretchability for efficient breathing. However, in COPD, damage to alveolar walls reduces elasticity, further compromising lung function (Papandrinopoulou, Tzouda, & Tsoukalas, 2012). Additionally, macrophages in COPD patients fail to effectively phagocytose bacteria, exacerbating pulmonary inflammation and contributing to disease progression (Singh et al., 2021).

Current treatments, such as bronchodilators and corticosteroids, manage symptoms but fail to address individual variations or control chronic complications. This highlights the urgent need for innovative therapeutic approaches. In 2024, significant progress was made in COPD therapy with two landmark FDA approvals. In June, Ohtuvayre, a novel inhaled treatment, was approved. On September 27, dupilumab (Dupixent) received approval as an add-on maintenance treatment for uncontrolled COPD with elevated eosinophil levels. These approvals mark critical milestones in the ongoing effort to improve outcomes for COPD patients.

COPD-Related Assets at Biocytogen

Biocytogen has established a sub-brand, RenBiologicsTM, to explore global partnerships for an off-the-shelf library of over 400,000 fully human antibody sequences against approximately 1,000 targets, including COPD-related ones. Unlock the full potential of your research pipeline with Biocytogen’s unmatched fully human antibody library!

Case Study: IGHE Antibody Developed by RenMab

IGHE encodes the heavy chain constant region of IgE, consisting of CH1-CH4. Its interaction with the high-affinity receptor FCER1A triggers mast cell or basophil degranulation, the release of inflammatory mediators, and type I anaphylaxis. Anti-IgE therapies are indicated for conditions such as asthma, chronic spontaneous urticaria, and nasal polyps.

The IGHE antibody, developed using our RenMab platform, effectively blocks IgE binding to both FCER1A and CD23, demonstrating affinities comparable to omalizumab analogs. Additionally, it exhibits cross-reactivity with human and monkey IgE, highlighting its potential for broad therapeutic applications.

The Top 4 IGHE antibody clones can effectively block both FCER1A and CD23

Biocytogen’s IGHE antibody clone exhibits higher affinity than omalizumab

Case Study: MET Antibody Developed by RenNano

MET (cellular-mesenchymal epithelial transition factor) is a receptor tyrosine kinase that plays a critical role in promoting the malignant progression of cancer cells. Although MET is expressed in most normal tissues, it is highly overexpressed in tumors, making it a valuable tumor-specific target. Indications for MET-targeting therapies include non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and solid tumors.

Anti-MET monoclonal antibodies developed using our RenNano mice exhibit nanomolar-level affinity and internalization activity comparable to the benchmark.

Internalization assay of our MET antibodies generated by RenNano

Case Study: ST2 Antibody Developed by RenMab

The IL-33/ST2 signaling pathway is a key contributor to allergic reactions, asthma, and chronic inflammatory diseases. Our fully human ST2 antibodies, generated from the RenMab platform, demonstrate strong in vitro activity, with high affinity and cross-reactivity in humans and cyno. These antibody clones are classified into two distinct epitope bins, and all effectively block IL-33/ST2 reporter signaling in vitro, achieving IC50 values below 10 μg/mL.

Inhibition of IL-33 signaling by our ST2 antibodies

Biocytogen’s ST2 antibody clones show high affinity and a distinct epitope from the benchmark

Contact us to learn more about Biocytogen’s COPD assets, fully human antibody library, and opportunities for evaluation, licensing, or co-development!

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References

Mayo Clinic. COPD: Symptoms and causes.

Roca, Josep, et al. “Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease heterogeneity: challenges for health risk assessment, stratification and management.”?Journal of translational medicine?12 (2014): 1-11.

Papandrinopoulou, D., V. Tzouda, and G. Tsoukalas. “Lung compliance and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.”?Pulmonary medicine?2012.1 (2012): 542769.

Singh, R., et al. “Defective monocyte-derived macrophage phagocytosis is associated with exacerbation frequency in COPD.”?Respiratory Research?22 (2021): 1-11.