With strong ties to University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, NabGen Inc is structured around development of a novel strategy to block AAV neutralizing antibody activity. From successful clinical studies, a potentially huge market has been suggested for gene therapy with AAV vectors. However, for broader AAV vector application for patients, a major concernshas become the high prevalence of neutralizing antibody (Nab). The principals of NabGen are reported as having developed a vector independent protein-based strategy to universally block Nabs. The firm has initiated use of a unique mycoplasma derived protein and its analogues - designated Protein-M - whereby to enable successful gene delivery by preventing AAV neutralization of Nabs. Protein-M is able to interact with immunoglobulins from any species without antigen dependence by universally binding to variable regions on the antibody light and heavy chains.
