technology

soloMERs® are Elasmogen’s proprietary drugs derived from small (approximately 11 kDa) antibody-like proteins found in sharks known as Variable New Antigen Receptors (VNARs). VNARs exist naturally as high affinity, target-specific binding domains that play a crucial role in the adaptive immune system of these animals. With a distinct ancestral origin from antibodies, this example of 400-million-year-old convergent evolution places VNARs outside of the complex patent landscape that describes and protects antibody drug discovery and has produced the smallest  and most robust naturally occurring binding domains in the vertebrate kingdom. The conversion of VNARs into soloMERs®, a format that retains the unique characteristics of VNARs but is now suitable for human use (through humanisation or de-immunisation), has been granted as inventive and is captured by a patent family across multiple territories.

Elasmogen is uniquely positioned to build upon a growing portfolio of novel single chain clinical candidates to a range of drug targets, efficiently isolated from several diverse drug libraries of more than 100 billion unique VNARs and soloMERs® (Elasmogen’s “drug-engine”). These libraries combine the qualities of all known VNAR isotypes in a test-tube and their innovative design has been protected with a multi-layered IP position covering the platforms, formats, products and process.

The combination of small, stable, single-chain and structurally unique soloMERs® coupled with robust platforms for isolation against multiple disease targets has enabled Elasmogen to build a pipeline of differentiated therapeutic biologics designed to tackle complex diseases.

reformatting of soloMERs® 

The simple, single-chain nature of soloMERs® enables rapid reformatting into different drug products, tailored for optimal therapeutic efficacy. The advantages of small size, such as greater tumour and tissue penetration, can be retained whilst increasing the functionality of the product by creating dimeric and trimeric soloMER® fusions. Furthermore, the PK of these constructs can be tailored through the inclusion of our proprietary albumin binding soloMER® , NDure®.  The amenability to both N– and C– terminal molecular fusions without loss of function or favourable biophysical properties has led to the creation of a portfolio of empirically designed multivalent soloMER® modalities.

By applying our robust but rationally informed reformatting techniques, a range of multi-valent, biparatopic, multispecific soloMERs® with enhanced in vitro potency and in vivo efficacy have been created. The soloMER® Quad® is a family of multispecific or multi-paratopic human IgG1 Fc fused soloMERs® , exhibiting super-potent activity in disease models.

modalities

soloMER® Drug Conjugates (SDC)

An advanced drug class that combines small molecules and biologics has been successfully developed based on soloMERs®. Site specific conjugation of linker-payloads to soloMERs® in various product formats has not affected their potency and have demonstrated selective cell killing translating into excellent efficacy in models of human disease.

 

oral delivery 

Formulation of biologics for oral delivery is one of the most ambitious and disruptive development activities in the antibody therapeutics space. This approach will revolutionise patient care; most importantly improve drug safety and efficacy especially for site-specific disease targeting, e. g. IBD.

We are developing a pipeline of anti-inflammatory soloMER® products for oral delivery to treat a wide range of diseases.