Memo Therapeutics AG has published groundbreaking research demonstrating that therapeutic antibodies can cross the kidney endothelial barrier, providing crucial scientific validation for antibody-based treatments targeting renal infections. The study, published in Frontiers in Pharmacology, offers quantitative evidence that intravenously administered therapeutic IgG1 antibodies can be detected in urine, supporting the company's approach to treating BK polyomavirus infections in kidney transplant recipients.
Challenging Size-Exclusion Assumptions
The research analyzed the transport of therapeutic antibodies across the kidney filtration barrier, revealing that 0.015% (median) of the serum concentration of rituximab, a therapeutic antibody, can be found in urine. Remarkably, levels reached as high as 4.2% in some cases. These findings challenge longstanding assumptions about size-exclusion limitations that have historically discouraged the development of antibody-based therapies for kidney infections.
"This data reinforces the notion that potravitug can access infected renal tissue and supports the continued development of this first-in-class candidate for the treatment of BK viremia in kidney transplant recipients," said Christoph Esslinger, Chief Scientific Officer of Memo Therapeutics.
Supporting Potravitug Development Strategy
The proof-of-concept study provides compelling scientific support for the selected dosing regimen of MTx's investigational BK polyomavirus-neutralizing antibody, potravitug. This highly potent human anti-BKV IgG1 therapeutic antibody is currently advancing through Phase II clinical development, representing a potential breakthrough in treating a condition with limited therapeutic options.
Addressing Critical Unmet Medical Need
BKV nephropathy presents a significant challenge in transplant medicine, affecting up to 70% of kidney transplant recipients with established BK viremia. The condition is associated with compromised graft function and reduced long-term graft survival, yet therapeutic options remain severely limited. This limitation has been partly attributed to the prevailing belief that large-molecule biologics cannot effectively penetrate kidney tissue.
Current Clinical Development
Memo Therapeutics is currently conducting a Phase II double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial involving 90 patients in the United States for the treatment of BK viremia in kidney transplant recipients. The company anticipates releasing top-line results from this pivotal study later in 2025.
The research contributes to a growing body of evidence suggesting that antibody-based interventions for renal infections may be more feasible than previously thought, potentially opening new therapeutic avenues for conditions affecting transplant recipients and other patients with kidney-related viral infections.
