Bispecific antibodies (bsAbs) are lab-engineered antibodies designed to target two distinct binding sites on immune or virus cells. These molecules have the potential to improve potency and breadth of HIV neutralization, and they can be used as both preventive and therapeutic countermeasures. Bispecific antibodies could be particularly useful in military settings to improve the safety of the emergency blood supply.
MHRP is pursuing three main lines of effort to advance bispecific monoclonal antibodies as a tool to combat HIV:
- Laboratory discovery of novel candidates leveraging MHRP's cohort studies
- Development and preclinical testing of next-generation bispecific antibodies, for example VRC07/PGT121
- Clinical testing of first-generation bispecific antibodies, like 10E8.4/iMab
10E8.4/iMab
MHRP is working with the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center (ADARC) at Columbia University to test bispecific antibodies currently in development and discover the next generation of bsAbs. A Phase 1 trial in Tanzania is investigating the bsAb 10E8.4/iMab to determine how effective it is at reducing the amount of HIV in people living with HIV. This study will not only help researchers understand how these drugs might be useful for preventing or treating HIV, but will also explore the safety of intramuscular injections of mAbs, which if found to be safe, would greatly expand the feasibility of using them to prevent and possibly treat HIV.