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Pieris AG

Pieris progresses development of its proprietary biotherapeutics platform: successful demonstration of dual targeting with Duocalin® technology

Freising-Weihenstephan, Germany (ots)

Pieris AG, a
bio-pharmaceutical company developing Anticalins®, a novel class of 
targeted human protein therapeutics, announced today that its 
proprietary Duocalin® technology has successfully demonstrated dual 
targeting potential. Commenting on this development, Dr Andreas 
Hohlbaum, Director of Science and Preclinical Development of Pieris 
said: "As Pieris continues to validate the therapeutic application of
its technologies, dual targeting is viewed as a major step forward. 
Combining the benefits of bivalent, avid binding of disease targets 
with the ability to modulate two targets at once shows the clear 
development potential of the Duocalin® technology to treat 
multi-factorial diseases".
Using individual monomeric Anticalins® selected to have picomolar 
binding affinity to distinct determinants on two defined clinically 
validated targets, Pieris has constructed Duocalins® as monomeric, 
bivalent binding proteins that retain target specificity and affinity
regardless of the structural orientation of their binding domains. 
Furthermore, the high intrinsic stability of Duocalins® is comparable
to monomeric Anticalins®, offering flexible formulation and delivery 
potential for Duocalin®-based drug candidates.
Despite the low molecular weight of monomeric Anticalins® relative
to antibodies, their core scaffold provides a highly selective 
binding site with high structural plasticity and an extensive binding
surface comparable to that achieved with antibodies. The adaptability
of the Anticalin® scaffold has already allowed Pieris to develop 
therapeutic and diagnostic product candidates with custom designed 
functionality. Duocalins® allow multiple targets to be bound and 
modulated through a single molecule, which is particularly 
advantageous in diseases known to involve more than a single 
causative factor. Moreover, bi- or multivalent binding formats such 
as Duocalins® have significant potential in targeting cell surface 
molecules in disease, mediating agonistic effects on signal 
transduction pathways or inducing enhanced internalization effects 
via binding and clustering of cell surface receptors. The data will 
be presented for the first time on June 25th 2007 at IBC's second 
annual "Beyond Antibodies" Conference in Coronado, CA, USA.
For further information, please contact: Pieris AG Dr Birgit Zech,
   Sr Manager Business Development, Phone +49 (0) 8161 1411 400
Notes to editors
About Pieris AG
Pieris is a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery and
development of Anticalins, a novel class of targeted protein 
therapeutics, for the diagnosis and treatment of life-threatening 
human disorders. Exploiting extensive know-how in protein engineering
as part of a broad intellectual property portfolio, the Company 
applies a balanced risk business model to the development of its 
Anticalin candidates.
About the Anticalin® technology
Anticalins are derived from the lipocalin scaffold, originally 
developed by Prof. Dr. Arne Skerra, a leading expert in the field and
Head of the Department of Biological Chemistry at the Technical 
University of Munich, Germany. As engineered human proteins, 
Anticalins have prescribed binding properties with fundamental 
similarities to fully human antibodies e.g. picomolar potency and 
expected low immunogenicity. Anticalins have several additional 
advantages over conventional antibodies due to their small size (20 
kDa), robust tertiary structure and straight composition that confer 
high solubility, predictable stability and bacterial 
manufacturability. Fast pharmaco-kinetics and favorable tissue 
penetration of Anticalins can be balanced through adjustable 
modulation of serum half-life. Pieris and its collaborators are not 
only able to develop superior biotherapeutics, but they also have the
ability to overcome the encumbering patent landscape as currently 
present for the development of conventional antibodies.
About the Duocalin® technology
Pieris can format Anticalin leads as dual targeting proteins, 
so-called Duocalins. A Duocalin binds two separate therapeutic 
targets in one easily produced protein using standard manufacturing 
processes. Duocalins will create new market opportunities by offering
novel therapeutic rationales, better efficacy and increased patient 
coverage.
Further information is available at http://www.pieris-ag.com 
   Anticalin®, Duocalin®, are registered trademarks of Pieris AG.

Contact:

contact:
Dr Birgit Zech, Sr Manager Business Development,
Phone +49 (0) 8161 1411 400

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Plus de actualités: Pieris AG