MARYLAND INDUSTRIAL PARTNERSHIPS

MIPS Project Detail:

MedImmune, Inc.

Characterization of Artificial Antibody

Project #

2514

 | 

Round 

25

 | 

Feb 2000

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Company

MedImmune, Inc.

Gaithersburg

Montgomery

 County
, Maryland
  |  
Founded: 

1988

  |  

Company Description: 

MedImmune is the global biologics research and development arm of AstraZeneca, a global, innovation-driven biopharmaceutical business that focuses on the discovery, development and commercialization of small molecule and biologic prescription medicines. MedImmune is pioneering innovative research and exploring novel pathways across Oncology, Respiratory, Cardiovascular & Metabolic Diseases, and Infection and Vaccines. MedImmune is headquartered in Gaithersburg, Md., one of AstraZeneca’s three global R&D centers, with additional sites in Cambridge, UK and Mountain View, Calif.

MedImmune’s SYNAGIS therapeutic is an FDA-approved prescription injection of antibodies that is given monthly to help protect high-risk infants from severe respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV.

RSV is a common virus that, like the flu, is seasonal and easily spread. Most children will get RSV by the age of two. RSV begins with cold-like symptoms but can spread to the lungs. For babies with certain health conditions, RSV can be very serious.

SYNAGIS is the first monoclonal antibody approved for the prevention of an infectious disease, as well as the first such drug to be safely used in children.

MIPS Project

Round 

25

 - 

Feb 2000

Characterization of Artificial Antibody

Project #

2514

 | 

MIPS Round 

25

 | 

Starting Date: 

Feb 2000

MIPS Project Challenge:
MedImmune sought to characterize the humanized antibody SYNAGIS to identify potential changes in structure that occurred at the antigen binding site. This could possibly lead to a new antibody with improved, viral-neutralizing characteristics.

Project Scope:
Braden crystallized the antigen-binding fragment of the SYNAGIS antibody and selected variants, complexed with the protein antigen of the RSV virus. He also used x-ray diffraction analysis to determine the three-dimensional structure of the antibody/antigen complex. Finally, Braden studied the thermodynamics of the antibody/antigen association using micro-calorimetric techniques.

There were some concrete achievements [resulting from the MIPS project], including two patents on SYNAGIS. One was for the fab fragment domain of the antibody that recognizes the isotope of the virus and prevents infection. The second was for the tail of the antibody that models its complement immune function. Once the antibody binds to the virus, it helps with the recognition binding site for them. Those structures were the subject of U.S., European and world patent applications and issued patents.
-
Jose Casas-Finet, Former Scientific Advisor, Medimmune

Results: 

Braden’s work contributed to the structural characterization of SYNAGIS. Braden continued to work with MedImmune on a contractual basis for 15 years. Together, their work resulted in two patents and two published papers.

Patents:
• U.S. Patent# 7,229,618: Crystals and structure of Synagis Fab
• U.S. Patent# 6,955,717: Crystals and structure of Synagis Fab

Papers:
• Soft nanomaterials characterization using low voltage-high contrast electron microscopy and advanced image reconstruction techniques, SPIE Photonics West - BIOS: Biomedical Optics Volume 8954, January 31-February 7, 2014, Raúl E. Cachau, Bradford C. Braden, Jack R. Collins, Igor A. Topol1 and Jose R. Casas-Finet
• Nanoparticles characterization using HDR-NTA image analysis, SPIE Photonics West - BIOS: Biomedical Optics Volume 8954, January 31-February 7, 2014, Raúl E. Cachau, Bradford C. Braden, Jack R. Collins1 and Jose R. Casas- Finet

MIPS has jointly funded six different research projects with MedImmune, including three directly related to SYNAGIS, since 1996.

Principal Investigator:

Bradford

 

Braden

Professor, Center for Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Nursing

Project Manager: 

John

 

Hope

Scientist, AS/QC

Technologies:

Biotechnology / Genetic Engineering