SBIR-STTR Award

Novel Monoclonal Antibody for Single Dose Treatment of Acute CNS Injury
Award last edited on: 2/25/2021

Sponsored Program
STTR
Awarding Agency
NIH : NINDS
Total Award Amount
$700,000
Award Phase
2
Solicitation Topic Code
853
Principal Investigator
Anne-Marie Carbonell

Company Information

OncoSynergy Inc

380 Greenwich Avenue
Greenwich, CT 06830
   (415) 654-3548
   info@oncosynergy.com
   www.oncosynergy.com

Research Institution

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP)

Phase I

Contract Number: 1R41NS115249-01
Start Date: 9/30/2019    Completed: 8/31/2021
Phase I year
2019
Phase I Amount
$456,047
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) represents a significant societal and economic impact. To date, there are no FDA- approved pharmacotherapies to prevent or reverse TBI. The standard of care in an emergency setting focuses first on stabilizing the patient and secondly on management of cerebral hemodynamics. The patient may undergo surgery to remove hematomas, repair skull fractures, and relieve intracranial pressure. Pharmacological interventions are aimed at symptom management and may include anticoagulants, anticonvulsants, anxiolytics, and antidepressants. Ultimately, the current approaches to treating TBI are ameliorative and do not mitigate the biochemical insult that is the cause of brain damage. Hence, there is a significant unmet need for pharmacological agents to limit or prevent secondary neurological damage associated with TBI. TBI is a multi- system pathology with complex interactions between the brain, the periphery, and the immune system. In recent years, mounting evidence from both TBI patients and animal models of brain injury suggest a critical role for peripheral immune activation in the potentiation of TBI-induced neurological dysfunction and brain pathology. Importantly, cerebral invasion of lymphocytes crucially depends on the interaction of the leukocyte very late antigen-4 (VLA-4; integrin ?4?1) with vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) on endothelial cells. However, other ?1 integrins may also be involved, creating a potential escape mechanism. Hence, targeting multiple ?1 integrins which may mediate leukocyte invasion of the CNS has therapeutic potential to limit or prevent secondary neurological damage associated with TBI. OncoSynergy has developed OS2966, a proprietary, first- in-class humanized monoclonal pan-CD29/?1 integrin/ITGB1 antibody. Our IND-enabling studies demonstrated that repeat weekly intravenous dosing of OS2966 is well tolerated in non-human primates with no mortality, clinical signs, gross pathology, or maximum tolerated dose (MTD) reached (up to 35 mg/kg). In March 2019, FDA cleared our IND to initiate a Phase I clinical trial in patients with recurrent glioblastoma using intracerebral delivery of OS2966. The known pharmacology and safety profiles of OS2966 provide a strong support to quickly translate this drug to clinical trials for TBI, upon the successful completion of the proof-of-concept study. Hence, we propose to collaborate with Dr. Todd Kilbaugh at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia to conduct this Phase I STTR project to evaluate the efficacy of OS2966 in a high-fidelity porcine model of TBI. Successful achievement of this Phase I STTR project will enable further Phase II studies to optimize the treatment regimen of OS2966 in multiple porcine models of TBI and advance OS2966 to Phase 2 proof of concept efficacy studies in TBI patients.

Public Health Relevance Statement:
PROJECT NARRATIVE To date, there are no FDA-approved pharmacotherapies to mitigate or prevent neurological damage associated with traumatic brain injury (TBI). OncoSynergy has developed a novel monoclonal antibody against CD29/?1 integrin/ITGB1 for the prevention of TBI-induced secondary injury.

Project Terms:
Accelerometer; Achievement; actigraphy; Acute; American; animal efficacy; Animal Model; Animals; Anti-Anxiety Agents; Antibodies; Anticoagulants; Anticonvulsants; Antidepressive Agents; Basement membrane; Biochemical; Brain; Brain Injuries; Brain Pathology; career; CD8B1 gene; Cells; Cellular Assay; central nervous system injury; Cerebral hemisphere hemorrhage; cerebral hemodynamics; Cerebrum; Cessation of life; chemokine; Chemosensitization; Clinical; Clinical Trials; Cognitive; Cognitive Therapy; Complex; controlled cortical impact; Cortical Contusions; cranium plastic repair; cross reactivity; cytokine; disability; Dose; economic impact; efficacy study; Emergency department visit; emergency settings; Endothelial Cells; Epitopes; Extravasation; Family Relationship; Family suidae; FDA approved; first responder; Freezing; Glioblastoma; Hematoma; Hospitalization; Hour; humanized monoclonal antibodies; Immune; immune activation; Immune system; In Vitro; in vivo; Infiltration; inhibitor/antagonist; Injury; Integrin alpha4; Integrin alpha4beta1; Integrins; Intervention; Intracranial Pressure; Intravenous; Ischemia; Leptomeninges; Leukocytes; Life; Ligand Binding; Ligands; Long-Term Effects; Lymphocyte; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Maximum Tolerated Dose; Mediating; Medical Care Costs; Modeling; Molecular; Monoclonal Antibodies; mortality; natalizumab; Nervous System Trauma; neurobehavioral; neuroimaging; Neurologic Dysfunctions; neutrophil; nonhuman primate; novel; Occupational; Operative Surgical Procedures; Pathology; Patients; Pattern; Pediatric Hospitals; Peripheral; Pharmaceutical Preparations; Pharmacodynamics; Pharmacology; Pharmacotherapy; Phase; phase 2 study; Phase I Clinical Trials; Philadelphia; Play; prevent; Prevention; primary outcome; Production; psychosocial; PTPRC gene; Quality of life; receptor; recruit; Recurrence; Rehabilitation therapy; Role; Safety; secondary outcome; Severities; Site; Skull Fractures; Small Business Technology Transfer Research; Speech; standard of care; Stroke; Structure of choroid plexus; symptom management; Therapeutic; Tissues; Translating; Trauma; Traumatic Brain Injury; treatment arm; treatment optimization; Treatment Protocols; Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; ventricular system

Phase II

Contract Number: 5R41NS115249-02
Start Date: 9/30/2019    Completed: 8/31/2023
Phase II year
2020
Phase II Amount
$243,953
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) represents a significant societal and economic impact. To date, there are no FDA- approved pharmacotherapies to prevent or reverse TBI. The standard of care in an emergency setting focuses first on stabilizing the patient and secondly on management of cerebral hemodynamics. The patient may undergo surgery to remove hematomas, repair skull fractures, and relieve intracranial pressure. Pharmacological interventions are aimed at symptom management and may include anticoagulants, anticonvulsants, anxiolytics, and antidepressants. Ultimately, the current approaches to treating TBI are ameliorative and do not mitigate the biochemical insult that is the cause of brain damage. Hence, there is a significant unmet need for pharmacological agents to limit or prevent secondary neurological damage associated with TBI. TBI is a multi- system pathology with complex interactions between the brain, the periphery, and the immune system. In recent years, mounting evidence from both TBI patients and animal models of brain injury suggest a critical role for peripheral immune activation in the potentiation of TBI-induced neurological dysfunction and brain pathology. Importantly, cerebral invasion of lymphocytes crucially depends on the interaction of the leukocyte very late antigen-4 (VLA-4; integrin ?4?1) with vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) on endothelial cells. However, other ?1 integrins may also be involved, creating a potential escape mechanism. Hence, targeting multiple ?1 integrins which may mediate leukocyte invasion of the CNS has therapeutic potential to limit or prevent secondary neurological damage associated with TBI. OncoSynergy has developed OS2966, a proprietary, first- in-class humanized monoclonal pan-CD29/?1 integrin/ITGB1 antibody. Our IND-enabling studies demonstrated that repeat weekly intravenous dosing of OS2966 is well tolerated in non-human primates with no mortality, clinical signs, gross pathology, or maximum tolerated dose (MTD) reached (up to 35 mg/kg). In March 2019, FDA cleared our IND to initiate a Phase I clinical trial in patients with recurrent glioblastoma using intracerebral delivery of OS2966. The known pharmacology and safety profiles of OS2966 provide a strong support to quickly translate this drug to clinical trials for TBI, upon the successful completion of the proof-of-concept study. Hence, we propose to collaborate with Dr. Todd Kilbaugh at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia to conduct this Phase I STTR project to evaluate the efficacy of OS2966 in a high-fidelity porcine model of TBI. Successful achievement of this Phase I STTR project will enable further Phase II studies to optimize the treatment regimen of OS2966 in multiple porcine models of TBI and advance OS2966 to Phase 2 proof of concept efficacy studies in TBI patients.

Public Health Relevance Statement:
PROJECT NARRATIVE To date, there are no FDA-approved pharmacotherapies to mitigate or prevent neurological damage associated with traumatic brain injury (TBI). OncoSynergy has developed a novel monoclonal antibody against CD29/?1 integrin/ITGB1 for the prevention of TBI-induced secondary injury.

Project Terms:
Accelerometer; Achievement; actigraphy; Acute; American; animal efficacy; Animal Model; Animals; Anti-Anxiety Agents; Antibodies; Anticoagulants; Anticonvulsants; Antidepressive Agents; Basement membrane; Biochemical; Brain; Brain Injuries; Brain Pathology; career; CD8B1 gene; Cells; Cellular Assay; central nervous system injury; Cerebral hemisphere hemorrhage; cerebral hemodynamics; Cerebrum; Cessation of life; chemokine; Chemosensitization; Clinical; Clinical Trials; Cognitive; Cognitive Therapy; Complex; controlled cortical impact; Cortical Contusions; cranium plastic repair; cross reactivity; cytokine; disability; Dose; economic impact; efficacy study; Emergency department visit; emergency settings; Endothelial Cells; Epitopes; Extravasation; Family Relationship; Family suidae; FDA approved; first responder; Freezing; Glioblastoma; Hematoma; Hospitalization; Hour; humanized monoclonal antibodies; Immune; immune activation; Immune system; In Vitro; in vivo; Infiltration; inhibitor/antagonist; Injury; Integrin alpha4; Integrin alpha4beta1; Integrins; Intervention; Intracranial Pressure; Intravenous; Ischemia; Leptomeninges; Leukocytes; Life; Ligand Binding; Ligands; Long-Term Effects; Lymphocyte; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Maximum Tolerated Dose; Mediating; Medical Care Costs; Modeling; Molecular; Monoclonal Antibodies; mortality; natalizumab; Nervous System Trauma; neurobehavioral; neuroimaging; Neurologic Dysfunctions; neutrophil; nonhuman primate; novel; Occupational; Operative Surgical Procedures; Pathology; Patients; Pattern; Pediatric Hospitals; Peripheral; Pharmaceutical Preparations; Pharmacodynamics; Pharmacology; Pharmacotherapy; Phase; phase 2 study; Phase I Clinical Trials; Philadelphia; Play; prevent; Prevention; primary outcome; Production; psychosocial; PTPRC gene; Quality of life; receptor; recruit; Recurrence; Rehabilitation therapy; Role; Safety; secondary outcome; Severities; Site; Skull Fractures; Small Business Technology Transfer Research; Speech; standard of care; Stroke; Structure of choroid plexus; symptom management; Therapeutic; Tissues; Translating; Trauma; Traumatic Brain Injury; treatment arm; treatment optimization; Treatment Protocols; Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; ventricular system