Probody - Outsmarting Cancer - Therapeutics. Anti-Cancer
Probody therapeutics are designed to outsmart cancer by exploiting the unique conditions of the tumor microenvironment to more effectively localize treatment to the tumor, while limiting activity in healthy tissues. These novel therapies are designed to take advantage of high levels of protease activity in the tumor microenvironment. Their target-binding regions are masked to limit activity —and toxicity— in healthy tissue. When Probody therapeutics encounter active proteases near tumor tissue, their substrates are designed to be cleaved, removing their masks and activating them to bind to their tumor targets, potentially turning the disease against itself.
With Probody therapeutics, we have the potential to:
- Create or widen the therapeutic window—the range of a drug’s dosage that is effective without causing unacceptable toxicity
- Enable new combinations previously not possible due to toxicities
- Expand the universe of drug targets previously considered “undruggable” due to the target’s presence on healthy tissues
- Make new treatment options possible, so that more patients can benefit
More information about protease biology can be found in our fact sheet.
Probody® therapeutics have been intentionally designed to bind selectively to tumors, and not to healthy tissue, with the goal of minimizing toxicity and creating safer, more effective cancer therapies. This revolutionary approach and its resulting Probody drug candidates are based on a deep understanding of protease biology.
Parental Antibody
A pioneering antibody prodrug technology.
Healthy Tissue
The “masking” peptide is designed to limit the ability of Probody therapeutics to bind to healthy tissue—thereby helping to minimize toxicities.
Diseased Tissue
In the tumor environment, protease enzymes are expected to cleave the substrate, removing the “mask” and activating the Probody therapeutic to bind to its target on cancer cells.
Our highly versatile Probody® platform has potential utility across the most compelling antibody therapeutic modalities: Immunotherapies, antibody drug conjugates, T cell engaging bispecifics, CAR-T and NK cell therapy.