Antibody Therapeutics, Inc【Business Pitch @Research Studio2023】

A medical entrepreneurship program "Research Studio" provides a pitch opportunity for the participants. Antibody Therapeutics, Inc has completed the training program in FY2023.
Program details: resstplatform.org/research-st...

[@xinsifucci7751]

The following are questions from an IPF patient.
What is the competitive advantage over oral antifibrotic agents like pirfenidone and nintedanib?
Is the endpoint the rate of FVC reduction?
Wouldn't a price equivalent to an oral antifibrotic be a viable business model for a biologic?
What is the rationale for a possible value eflax point before showing Phase 2 results?

[@user-xs1ib5bt8n]

Whoops, sorry not for responding earlier. This monoclonal antibody (mAb) drug has several advantages over the standard care of drugs you mentioned. Mechanistically, target of this mAb is on fibroblasts and this mAb directly suppress fibroblasts, while targets of P&N are not on fibroblasts but on immune cells though both are explained to have the effects on the fibroblast, in their official attached documents. Therefore, both of the drugs may have unwanted effects on immune and other relevant cells. In contrast the mAb targets the matrix protein receptor, integrin α8β1, on fibroblasts and suppress fibroblast activation by two ways: blocking 1) matrix signals, 2) TGFβ activation. TGFβ is known as a Boss of fibroblast activation through its receptor expressed on fibroblasts. In the second question for the endpoint, we think the mAb do not only reduce the declining rate, but think stops or even revert FVC, but we still do not know until we inject to humans. At least in a mouse model, the mAb suppressed more of the fibrogeneis by bleomycine than Nintedanib. Finally, with respect to the price, generally newer drugs are a little bit more expensive. And you are right, manufacturing of biologics costs more than chemicals. The decision is made by the ministry in charge. Any way if it is too expensive, which is definitely not what we want.