Eli Lilly Embraces Oblique Antibody Discovery for New High-Value Targets
Eli Lilly is exploring a novel approach to antibody discovery by leveraging oblique antibody technology. The method aims to target previously inaccessible areas of high-value proteins, which could lead to the development of innovative therapies. The company is focused on diversifying its antibody discovery efforts to enhance its pipeline and address unmet medical needs and could position Eli Lilly at the forefront of antibody-based drug development in the coming years.
The following article originally appeared in Fierce Biotech.
Eli Lilly has expanded its partnership with Oblique Therapeutics, adding a second strand to an alliance focused on using the AbiProt platform to discover antibodies against high-value targets.
Oblique uses AbiProt to identify therapeutic antibodies that bind to a target protein with high specificity and affinity and, in many cases, can also be programmed to have a particular pharmacological function. The platform combines microfluidics and proteases as molecular probes to find antibody-binding sites on native-state proteins. Oblique can aim the technology at soluble and membrane-bound proteins.
The platform, which provides sequence and structure information for epitope identification, has shown promise when applied to a hard-to-drug pain target. A 2021 paper in Science Advances described the use of the platform to generate antibodies against the TRPV1 channel.
Other companies have developed small molecule antagonists of TRPV1, only to see side effects put pay to plans to pursue signs of efficacy. In theory, antibodies could bind to other parts of the molecule and thereby block the pain mechanism without interfering with the heat sensor linked to the side effects. Oblique used the platform to find an antibody with that binding profile.
Later, the biotech hired Olof Larsson, Ph.D., as its chief scientific officer. Larsson’s earlier positions include a stint as Lilly’s CSO in pain and migraine and scientific site leader, neuroscience. The Big Pharma has kept working on pain as its peers have pulled back. Oblique’s platform is also applicable to other areas of interest to Lilly, including oncology, and neither party has disclosed the target or its application.
Lilly first partnered with Oblique in November 2023. The latest agreement adds a second target to the pact. Oblique is partnering with Lilly Catalyze360-ExploR&D, a program that makes the drugmaker’s R&D skills available to biotechs, and could generate milestones and royalties. Oblique CEO Christer Nordstedt set out what the deal means to the company in a statement.
“We are delighted to expand the collaboration between our companies and together create new science to address the unmet medical need in severe diseases,” Oblique CEO Christer Nordstedt said in an Aug. 22 release. “This collaboration with Lilly is of great importance to us and will further strengthen our position within the antibody discovery space.”
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