15th World Bispecifics Summit 2024 – Boston: Highlights and Event Recap

The 15th Annual World Bispecifics Summit 2024 was held in Boston, MA on September 3-5, 2024. The event brought together experts in the field of bi, tri and multi-specifics, in addition to bispecific ADCs and BiTEs. Topics discussed included: 

• Bispecific Clinical Landscape 

• Latest Novel Formats 

• Solid Tumors 

• Autoimmune & Inflammatory Diseases 

• A New Generation of Immune Cell Engagers 

→ Biointron’s Highlighted Points: 

1. Bispecific Clinical Landscape 

• CLDN18.2 x 4-1BB bispecific: anti-4-1BB VHH that targets the membrane proximal region can be further optimized with unidirectional Fc effector function towards TAAs. (Biotheus) 

• ABBV-383: a novel bispecific antibody with enhanced tumor targeting & optimized t-cell engagement in multiple myeloma. (Abbvie) 

• Endogenous T cell reactivities as drivers of TCE response & resistance (leveraging TCE immune perturbations to establish predictive biomarkers and novel personalized cell therapies). (Broad Institute) 

2. Latest Novel Formats 

• XmAb541: 2+1 CLDN6 x CD3 bispecific has two tumor-antigen binding domains and one T-cell binding domain, to treat ovarian cancer & other CLDN6+ solid tumors. (Xencor) 

• Azymetric platform used to optimally format T-cell engagers & bispecific ADCs with a robust Fc heterodimer solution. E.g. Zanidatamab, a bi-paratopic anti-HER2 antibody undergoing clinical studies. (Zymeworks) 

• FAST-Ig platform used to produce bispecific antibodies and improve antibody pharmacokinetics. E.g. NXT007, a next-gen version of emicizumab for hemophilia A. (Chugai Pharmaceuticals)

• Overcome tolerability challenges with bispecifics targeting CD47 on tumor cells and regulate CD28-mediated T-cell co-stimulation, overcoming tolerability challenges while avoiding systemic toxicities associated with CD47 and CD28 targeting, respectively. (Light Chain Bioscience) 

3. Solid Tumors 

• Zenocutuzumab: a HER2xHER3 Biclonics antibody that overcomes HER3 mediated NRG1 signaling in tumor cells by docking on HER2. (Merus Therapeutics) 

• ImmTACs: a novel class of soluble bispecifics engineered by fusing an mTCR to a humanized anti-CD3 single chain antibody fragment. E.g. a new ImmTac against PIWIL-1, a novel colorectal cancer target. (Immunocore) 

• xPloration single cell screening platform and OmniClic common light chain human IgG transgenic chickens enable discovery of bispecific libraries in IgG-like format. (OmniAb) 

4. Autoimmune & Inflammatory Disease 

• Unique potential of IgM antibodies and T cells to drive deep B cell depletion for treatment of autoimmune disease. Imvotamab (CD20 x CD3) Phase 1b clinical trials are ongoing. (IGM Biosciences) 

• Flex-NK bispecific scaffold: development of next generation NK cell redirected antibody therapeutics, e.g. CYT-338 NK cell engager. (Cytovia) 

• Immuno-STATs: new class of TCR-selective engagers for selective modulation of disease-relevant T cells. The CUE-500 series can re-direct the protective virus-specific T cells (VSTs) to deplete B cells (Cue Biopharma) 

5. A New Generation of Immune Cell Engagers 

• Solving the combinatorial matrix puzzle and fast-tracking bispecific generation for early-stage functional assessment through multiparametric, high throughput in silico-driven molecular optimization to derisk programs as early as possible. (ImmunoPrecise Antibodies) 

• There is growing evidence of T-cell engagers with clinical benefit for solid tumors, not just in hematological malignancies. (Amgen) 

• Selectively activating subsets of T cells present in tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes of solid tumors to promote more potent anti-tumor activity by uncovering associations between Vβ T cell subsets and diseases. (Marengo) 

Thank you for visiting us at our booth at the World Bispecifics Summit 2024 to learn about our services! We had a great time connecting with you and understanding how we can help you achieve antibody development. Our expert team would be happy to answer any follow-up questions. Feel free to email us at info@biointron.com!