Xencor Inc (NASDAQ:XNCR) is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company organized around expanding the therapeutic boundaries of monoclonal antibody drugs. Actively SBIR program involved from 1999 through 2003. Powered by its XmAb antibody engineering platform, Xencor is developing a broad pipeline of drug candidates that are optimized to treat autoimmune disorders, cancer, asthma and allergic diseases. 11 programs are in clinical testing and many more are in preclinical development. Using a proprietary XmAb technology platform the firm is creating next-generation antibody product candidates designed to treat autoimmune and allergic diseases, cancer and other conditions. In contrast to conventional approaches to antibody design, which focus on the portion of antibodies that interact with target antigens, Xencor is focused on the portion of the antibody that interacts with multiple segments of the immune system. This portion, referred to as the Fc domain, is constant and interchangeable among antibodies. The firmâs engineered Fc domains, the XmAb technology, can be readily substituted for natural Fc domains potentially enhancing antibody performance by, for example, increasing immune inhibitory activity, improving cytotoxicity or extending circulating half-life, while typically maintaining over 99.5% identity in structure and sequence to natural antibodies. By improving over natural antibody function, management believe that the firmâs XmAb-engineered antibodies offer innovative approaches to treating disease and potential clinical advantages over other treatment
