Thursday marked the launch of Abdera Therapeutics, a West Coast-based biotech firm that is revolutionizing the world of precision radiopharmaceuticals. With a whopping $142 million in combined Series A and Series B funding, Abdera is poised to make a major impact in the medical and pharmaceutical industries.
Abdera, the antibody-focused biotech, recently secured a Series A round led by venture capital firms Versant Ventures and Amplitude Ventures, with its founding investors AbCellera and adMare BioInnovations. Following this success, Abdera announced a Series B round led by venBio Partners. This indicates the company’s positive momentum and commitment to investing in innovative technology.
Abdera’s targeted radiotherapy approaches offer a promising alternative to traditional approaches, which often fail to reach therapeutic levels inside tumors or only weakly penetrate tumors, leading to kidney toxicity or systemic exposure. By utilizing small ligands or large proteins, such as antibodies, Abdera’s approaches provide a more effective means of targeting tumors with greater precision.
Abdera’s revolutionary platform ROVEr has revolutionized cancer treatment, providing a powerful combination of two standard approaches. With its high-affinity antigen-binding domain, ROVEr enables the engineering of antibody-based medicines that effectively target cancer cells. This innovative approach has opened up a world of possibilities in the fight against cancer.
Radiopharmaceuticals created with this innovative technology offer more than just a targeted attack on tumors – their specially engineered Fc domain also gives them the ability to adjust their pharmacokinetic profile, so they can effectively penetrate the tumor while limiting systemic side effects, kidney, and liver toxicity. This ensures a safe and effective treatment for cancer patients.
Abdera has developed a revolutionary targeted radiotherapeutic molecule: the heavy-chain-only antibody. Optimized in size to maximize target specificity, tumor penetration and accumulation of the radioisotope, this novel treatment demonstrates an ideal balance of efficacy and safety, avoiding high renal uptake. According to company co-founder and senior vice president of research, Adam Judge, “These antibodies are a game-changer in the field of radiotherapy.”
ABD-147, the lead asset of venBio Partners, is an innovative treatment that targets delta-like ligand 3 (DLL3), a protein that plays a role in the Notch signaling cascade. DLL3 has been proven to be involved in small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and other solid tumors, but it has been difficult to treat due to its low expression levels. With ABD-147, venBio Partners is striving to revolutionize cancer treatment by offering a cutting-edge solution that targets this challenging protein.
Abdera is making strides in the development of its DLL3-targeting therapeutic, with plans to file an Investigational New Drug application with the FDA in 2024. The pre-clinical development is progressing rapidly, with the promise of a potential breakthrough in the field of cancer treatment.
The start-up is currently making waves in the medical industry, having already begun work on four pre-clinical assets, all targeting undisclosed targets. In addition to this, they have several other exciting projects in the works, offering new potential treatments to help improve the lives of those who need it most. With the help of cutting-edge technology, they are truly revolutionizing the medical world.
Abdera is set to revolutionize precision radiotherapeutic treatments with the leadership of Lori Lyons-Williams, the company’s president and CEO. Ms. Lyons-Williams brings decades of experience in the industry, having most recently served as the chief operating officer of Neumora, a clinical-stage biotech focused on precision treatments for neurology indications. With her expertise and guidance, Abdera is positioned to make groundbreaking advances in the field.
Lyons-Williams had a wealth of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, having served at Allergan for fifteen years prior to her most recent position.
Prior to joining Abdera, Judge was the consulting head of biology at Genevant Sciences and research director at Tekmira Pharmaceuticals. He has a wealth of experience in the field, and is committed to using his expertise to further Abdera’s mission.