BEVERLY, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Akston Biosciences, dedicated to accelerating the next revolution in Animal Health, announced the publication in Frontiers in Immunology of a study on AKS-107, an innovative antigen-specific immunotherapy based on Akston's Ambifect® Fc-fusion protein platform. The study demonstrated AKS-107's potential to target and delete insulin-specific B cells, which are implicated in the development of Type 1 Diabetes (T1D). Fc-fusion proteins based on this platform can be designed to interact only with parts of the immune system related to the target disease while minimizing off-target effects.
AKS-107 is a human IgG1 Fc-fusion protein engineered to retain conformational insulin epitopes that bind to B cell receptors while preventing binding to the insulin metabolic receptor. The study conducted in non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice and insulin-reactive B cell receptor transgenic mouse strains showed that AKS-107 can safely prevent spontaneous diabetes, demonstrating durable immune tolerance. Studies have shown that AKS-107 has a protracted pharmacokinetic pro was well-tolerated in both mice and non-human primates, making it a promising candidate for clinical development in T1D prevention settings.
"Akston has confirmed the versatility of the Ambifect® platform across diverse treatment areas, including extended duration insulin therapies, infectious disease vaccines, and, with AKS-107, interrupting an autoimmune cascade," said Todd Zion, Ph.D., President & CEO of Akston Biosciences. “We are now exploring its application to therapeutic vaccination, where the immune system is recruited to target proteins involved in non-communicable diseases," he added. “Using a common platform allows Akston to reduce development time and manufacturing costs across its entire pipeline.”
As part of its renewed focus on Animal Health, Akston recently spun out all applications for human T1D prevention and treatment, including AKS-107 for disease prevention and AKS-440, its once-a-week basal insulin therapy. Akston also spun out all human clinical vaccine applications with lead candidates targeting misfolded proteins involved in neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s and infectious diseases including Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Dengue fever. Regarding its Animal Health applications, Akston is partnered with Dechra Pharmaceuticals PLC to commercialize canine and feline ultra-long insulins. The company is also advancing lead therapeutic vaccines against nerve growth factor for chronic pain and IL-31 for atopic dermatitis.
About Akston Biosciences:
Akston Biosciences Corporation is dedicated to accelerating the next revolution in Animal Health by inventing, developing, and manufacturing breakthrough protein therapeutics for veterinary use. Its vertically integrated capabilities, including a kilogram-scale cGMP manufacturing facility dedicated to Animal Health, can significantly reduce the time and cost from discovery to commercial introduction. Akston leverages its Ambifect® Fc-fusion protein platform to create innovative, extended-duration biologics and therapeutic vaccines. Its facilities are located in Beverly, Mass. Additional information is available at akstonbio.com.
