Combotope develops tumor-specific monoclonal antibodies that target aberrant O-glycosylation found in 50-80% of cancer cells, while sparing healthy tissue. Their proprietary antibody discovery platform enables the identification of high-affinity binders for over 900 cancer-specific protein targets, enhancing the precision of anti-cancer therapies.
Funding
Funding not disclosed
Founders
Product
Problem
Current cancer therapies often target antigens present on both healthy and cancerous cells, leading to significant off-target effects and toxicity. This lack of specificity limits the therapeutic window and can result in severe side effects for patients. Existing antibody discovery methods struggle to identify antibodies that selectively bind to tumor-specific modifications without cross-reactivity.
Solution
Combotope is developing tumor-specific monoclonal antibodies that target aberrant O-glycosylation, a modification found in a high percentage of cancer cells but largely absent in healthy tissues. Their proprietary antibody discovery platform enables the identification of high-affinity binders to over 900 cancer-specific protein targets. These antibodies selectively bind to cancer cells, sparing normal tissue and potentially reducing the toxicity associated with traditional cancer treatments. Combotope's approach aims to improve the precision and efficacy of anti-cancer therapies across various modalities, including IgG mAbs, ADCs, CAR-T therapies, and BiTEs. The platform also offers bioinformatics analysis to identify specific glycosylation sites and generate multiple binders for each target.
Target Audience
Combotope's primary customers are clinical-stage companies seeking to develop the next generation of cancer therapies with improved tumor specificity and reduced off-target effects.
Features
- Proprietary antibody discovery platform targeting aberrant O-glycosylation in cancer cells
- Ability to identify high-affinity (picomolar range) monoclonal antibodies
- Target database of over 900 O-glycosylated membrane proteins, including EGFR, VEGFR, HER2, and PD-L1
- Capability to generate target-related antibody sequence families
- scFv format offers customized Plug'N'Play solutions for various therapeutic modalities (IgG mAb, ADC, CAR-T, BiTEs, Immunocytokine, Radiolabeled)
- Bioinformatics analysis and deep mining of specific Tn/STn-glycosylation sites
- Companion diagnostic test (CCDx) to verify Tn/STn on selected tumor target