Nona Biosciences Expands Reach with Strategic Partnerships in Animal Health and Breast Cancer Therapeutics
Key Insights
Nona Biosciences (search) has entered a strategic collaboration with Invetx (search) to develop next-generation animal health biotherapeutics using their proprietary HCAb (search) Harbour Mice (search)® platform, marking their first expansion into the animal health sector.
The company has also partnered with Atossa Therapeutics to discover novel antibody therapies for breast cancer (search), leveraging their H2L2 (search) Harbour Mice (search)® platform to identify next-generation therapeutic candidates.
Nona's Harbour Mice (search)® technology generates fully human monoclonal antibodies in both conventional and heavy chain-only formats, offering significant advantages for antibody development across multiple therapeutic areas.
Nona Biosciences (search), a global biotechnology company specializing in antibody discovery and development, has announced two significant strategic collaborations that expand the application of its proprietary Harbour Mice (search)® platform technology across both animal health and oncology sectors.
Strategic Partnership with Invetx for Animal Health Biotherapeutics
On February 3, 2025, Nona Biosciences (search) revealed a strategic collaboration with Boston-based animal biotechnology company Invetx (search) to develop next-generation animal health biotherapeutics. This partnership marks Nona's first venture into the animal health sector and will utilize the company's HCAb (search) Harbour Mice (search)® platform.
The HCAb (search) Harbour Mice (search)® platform generates heavy chain-only antibodies that are approximately half the size of conventional IgGs, offering significant advantages for next-generation antibody therapies. This technology has been clinically validated and is protected by global patents.
"This collaboration marks an important milestone as we expand our business into the animal health sector for the first time, demonstrating the flexibility and broad application of our Harbour Mice (search)® technology," said Jingsong Wang, MD, PhD, Chairman of Nona Biosciences (search). "By leveraging our innovative platform, we aim to empower Invetx (search) in advancing novel therapeutics that address critical needs in animal health."
Juergen Horn, DVM, PhD, President of Invetx (search), expressed enthusiasm about the partnership: "We are excited to partner with Nona as we continue our work to create novel, protein-based animal health therapeutics. By leveraging Nona's HCAbs, we are accelerating the development of our clinical program to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of our differentiated technology platforms."
Invetx (search), which was acquired by Dechra Pharmaceuticals (search) Limited in July 2024, focuses on creating protein-based animal health therapeutics to transform standards of care in veterinary medicine.
Collaboration with Atossa Therapeutics for Breast Cancer Therapies
In a separate announcement on April 10, 2025, Nona Biosciences (search) disclosed a research collaboration with Atossa Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq: ATOS) to identify next-generation therapeutic candidates for breast cancer (search). This partnership will leverage Nona's H2L2 (search) Harbour Mice (search)® platform.
The H2L2 (search) Harbour Mice (search)® platform employs transgenic mice to generate fully human monoclonal antibodies in the conventional two heavy and two light chain format, eliminating the need for additional engineering or humanization. When combined with single B cell cloning technology, this platform offers a powerful approach to developing therapeutic antibodies and accelerating drug discovery.
"We are pleased to collaborate with Atossa Therapeutics to discover next-generation antibody therapies for breast cancer (search)," said Dr. Wang. "This partnership highlights the value of our proprietary Harbour Mice (search)® platform and reflects the industry's growing demand for innovative antibody discovery solutions. With Nona's industry-leading technology and expertise, we look forward to supporting Atossa's exploration of antibody-based approaches within their oncology pipeline."
Versatility of the Harbour Mice® Platform
Nona Biosciences (search)' proprietary Harbour Mice (search)® platform has demonstrated remarkable versatility, generating monoclonal antibodies in both conventional (H2L2 (search)) and heavy chain-only (HCAb (search)) formats. The platform has been applied in more than 250 drug discovery programs across multiple therapeutic areas and has gained widespread recognition from global partners.
The company provides integrated solutions from "Idea to IND" (I to I™), ranging from target validation and antibody discovery through preclinical research. Their comprehensive services include antigen preparation, animal immunization, single B cell screening, antibody lead generation and engineering, developability assessment, and pharmacological evaluation.
These recent collaborations underscore the growing industry recognition of Nona Biosciences (search)' innovative antibody discovery technologies and their potential applications across diverse therapeutic areas, from human oncology to animal health.
As biotherapeutics continue to gain prominence in both human and veterinary medicine, platforms like Harbour Mice (search)® that can generate fully human antibodies with minimal additional engineering are becoming increasingly valuable in accelerating drug development timelines and improving therapeutic outcomes.