Lpath Collaborates with Sapient Discovery
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Sapient Discovery, LLC, and Lpath, Inc. have announced the completion of a collaborative study that used Sapient Discovery's computational platform to understand the binding properties of Lpath's humanized Sphingomab™ antibody to its target, sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P).
Humanized Sphingomab is the candidate selected by Lpath for clinical study as an agent to treat cancer and various ocular diseases.
Lpath generates therapeutic monoclonal antibodies against S1P, an important bioactive lipid involved in angiogenesis and the progression of cancer.
In relevant animal models, this humanized antibody demonstrated performance far superior to the mouse monoclonal antibody featured in the March 2006 issue of the scientific journal, Cancer Cell.
In addition, the humanized antibody was shown to have greater thermo-stability than the mouse version and approximately 20 times the binding affinity for its target than Genentech's blockbuster drug, Avastin®, has for its target.
"Sapient Discovery's proprietary Genes-to-Leads® technology created dynamic 3-D structural models of the binding of Sphingomab to S1P," said Kal Ramnarayan Ph.D., president and chief scientific officer of Sapient Discovery,
"This has provided valuable insights for the Lpath research team, with significant efficiency and cost savings to Lpath."
Dr. Genevieve Hansen, Lpath's vice president of research, commented, "Sapient Discovery has an impressive computational platform for developing in- depth characterizations of protein-ligand interactions."
"Our collaboration with them has provided important information to confirm the selection of our therapeutic anti-S1P antibody for clinical development."
"It also furthers our ongoing efforts to advance the company's pipeline of therapeutic antibodies against bioactive lipids."
Scott Pancoast, Lpath's CEO added, "We are encouraged by findings from this collaboration that suggest exceptional performance for our anti-S1P product, Sphingomab, in clinical trials."
