Hummingbird Bioscience Showcases Next-Gen Antibody-Drug Conjugate Data at PEGS Boston 2024

Hummingbird Bioscience, a company focused on developing precision biotherapeutics for difficult-to-treat conditions, revealed promising data at the 20th Annual PEGS Boston summit, held from May 13-17, 2024. The data highlighted advancements in the company's dual-payload antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) platform, which aims to enhance the efficacy and safety of current ADC therapies.

Presentations at the event illustrated the potential of Hummingbird Bioscience’s 4th generation ADC platform. The first presentation demonstrated the targeted binding of antibodies and ADCs to specific epitopes on challenging disease-related proteins. The second presentation showcased a novel dual-payload ADC approach designed to tackle resistance issues and improve the therapeutic effectiveness of ADCs. Jerome Boyd-Kirkup, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of Hummingbird Bioscience, emphasized that their proprietary ADC platform could overcome resistance seen with earlier single-payload ADCs. This innovative technology might benefit numerous patients who have resistance to existing ADC treatments.

During the summit, Dr. Boyd-Kirkup presented on the topic "Engineering Immune Responses for Epitope-Focused Antibody Discovery." He discussed the company's Rational Antibody Discovery platform, which utilizes transgenic mouse models to generate antibodies targeting key protein epitopes. This platform supports the creation of ADCs with optimal drug properties, enhancing their ability to combat tumors.

Another presentation by Ben Ayers, DPhil, Vice President of Antibody-Drug Conjugates at Hummingbird Bioscience, focused on "Overcoming Payload Resistance with Dual-Payload ADCs." This session explored how dual-payload technologies could address the limitations of current ADCs and improve their clinical success.

Hummingbird Bioscience’s 4th generation ADC platform integrates AI-driven antibody discovery and proprietary linker and dual-payload technologies. This combination aims to solve the major challenges of current ADC therapies, such as payload resistance and targeting specificity. The platform’s capabilities include improved delivery and tumor targeting, maximizing the therapeutic impact of the ADCs.

The Rational Antibody Discovery (RAD) platform at Hummingbird Bioscience addresses challenges faced by traditional antibody approaches. Using mAbPredict, an AI-based technology, the RAD platform identifies optimal regions on target proteins. The process involves mAbHits, an immuno-engineering technology that directs antibody responses to specific epitopes in a proprietary transgenic mouse model. This method ensures the generation of antibodies that bind to ideal epitopes, unlike conventional methods with limited control over binding regions. The RAD platform has successfully produced multiple antibodies and ADCs targeting disease-associated proteins, with some currently in Phase I trials and others set to enter clinical development soon.

Hummingbird Bioscience's pipeline includes next-generation ADCs and other innovative biologics, such as monoclonal antibodies HMBD-001 and HMBD-002, both in Phase I trials. The company recently out-licensed HMBD-501, an ADC expected to start clinical trials this year. By combining computational biology and experimental drug discovery, Hummingbird Bioscience aims to streamline the journey of new therapeutics from concept to clinic. This integrated approach enhances target identification and patient selection, improving the efficiency and reducing the risks associated with drug development. The company's commitment to rigorous science, collaboration, and integrity drives their mission to develop transformative treatments for hard-to-treat diseases.