RQ Bio has announced that the first of its discovered monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) to prevent COVID-19 in vulnerable patients has entered clinical trials less than 12 months after discovery, with the commencement of AstraZeneca’s (AZ) phase 1/3 SUPERNOVA trial.
The start of the trial triggers a $5m milestone payment from AZ, which licensed AZD3152 from RQ Bio in May last year, and reinforces the financial position of the UK-based biotech to execute its four scientific programmes focused on viral diseases.
AZ’s trial will evaluate the safety and neutralising activity of AZD5156 – a combination of AZD3152 and cilgavimab – for the prevention of COVID-19 in patients with conditions that cause immune impairment and are therefore less likely to build an adequate protective response through vaccination.
“While vaccines remain the cornerstone of active immunisation, vulnerable populations that cannot build an immune response with vaccination can benefit from protection from a monoclonal antibody,” said Hugo Fry, chief executive officer of RQ Bio.
An accelerated development programme by AZ means a new COVID-19 treatment could become available in the second half of this year, RQ Bio said, subject to trial read-outs and regulatory reviews.
“We look forward to helping more pharmaceutical companies develop medicines in areas of unmet need that offer instant and long-lasting immunity for vulnerable people at risk of severe disease or death from viral infections,” said Fry.
The launch of RQ Bio was announced in May last year, following the completion of the licensing deal with AZ. Under the terms of the agreement, AZ was granted an exclusive worldwide licence to develop, manufacture and commercialise the company’s existing early stage mAbs for SARS-CoV-2, with RQ Bio eligible for milestone payments of up to $157m, as well as single digit royalties on sales.
The company has a deep collaboration with the University of Oxford and was founded by those previously involved with the UK BioIndustry Association (BIA) Antibody Taskforce, which worked to build a community of infectious disease antibody experts to develop an antibody-based treatment for patients with COVID-19.
“Our vision is to build on our successful debut with neutralising antibody therapy for SARS-CoV-2 and develop innovative medicines to address current and evolving unmet needs in other viral infectious diseases,” said Fry at the time of the launch announcement.