BriaCell Therapeutics Corp. and its majority-owned subsidiary, BriaPro Therapeutics, announced the development of novel high-affinity antibodies targeting B7-H3, a key protein involved in cancer progression. The antibodies were developed using molecular modeling techniques, and BriaPro has already filed provisional US patent applications for the technology, with plans to file an international patent application under the Patent Cooperation Treaty.
B7-H3 represents a promising drug target due to its dual role as both an immune checkpoint molecule that regulates T cell activity and a cell surface molecule expressed on numerous cancer cells. The protein is overexpressed in a broad range of solid tumors, including prostate, lung, breast, pancreatic, and ovarian cancers, while showing limited expression in normal tissues.
Strategic Integration with Proprietary Platform
BriaPro plans to develop these anti-B7-H3 antibodies for multiple cancer indications and incorporate them into its Bria-TILsRx platform—a proprietary antibody platform designed to redirect and activate T cells within the tumor microenvironment. This platform integrates both T cell engagers, which promote T cell-mediated tumor killing, and tumor-targeted immune checkpoint modulators, which selectively block inhibitory signals on tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) to enhance their anti-tumor activity.
"B7-H3 is overexpressed in a broad range of solid tumors while showing limited expression in normal tissues. This makes it an ideal target to selectively activate tumor infiltrating lymphocytes and drive potentially potent anti-tumor responses with reduced risk of off-target toxicity," stated Miguel Lopez-Lago, PhD, BriaCell and BriaPro CSO.
Promising Preclinical Data
The company reports encouraging in vitro data for its novel anti-B7-H3 technology. Markus D. Lacher, PhD, a key inventor of the technology, expressed optimism that the antibodies will demonstrate anti-cancer activity in preclinical models and eventually advance to clinical trials in cancer patients.
"Antibodies targeting B7-H3 are highly sought after by multiple pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies," noted Dr. William V. Williams, BriaCell and BriaPro President & CEO. "We expect that BriaPro's novel anti-B7-H3 antibodies will be synergistic with BriaCell's current cell-based immuno-oncology platform which includes BriaCell's novel cell-based immunotherapy, and personalized off-the-shelf approaches."
Multiple Development Pathways
BriaPro expects to advance its anti-B7-H3 antibodies into development across multiple modalities, including:
- Proprietary antibody-drug conjugates
- T cell engagers
- Targeted immune checkpoint inhibitors
These approaches could potentially address multiple cancer indications, leveraging B7-H3's expression profile across various solid tumors.
Addressing Unmet Needs in Cancer Treatment
The development of these novel antibodies comes at a time when immunotherapy approaches are transforming cancer treatment. By targeting B7-H3, which functions both as a tumor-associated antigen and an immune checkpoint molecule, BriaPro's technology has the potential to address the dual challenges of directly targeting cancer cells while also enhancing the body's immune response against tumors.
The selective expression pattern of B7-H3—high in tumors but limited in normal tissues—makes it particularly attractive as a therapeutic target, potentially allowing for effective anti-tumor activity while minimizing off-target toxicity that can limit other immunotherapy approaches.
As BriaPro advances this technology through preclinical development, the company will be positioned to explore potential applications across multiple cancer types that currently have limited treatment options, potentially expanding the reach of effective immunotherapy approaches to more cancer patients.
