THERAPEUTIC APPROACH

The Strength of Arenaviruses as Immuneactivating Therapeutics

Arenaviruses are negative-sense, single-stranded RNA viruses that are members of the family Arenaviridae and are genetically very diverse due to specific adaptations to their respective host. The name of this virus family derives from the Latin “arena” for “sand” due to the grainy appearance of particles inside the virus when viewed in cross-section.

One of the best studied arenaviruses classified under the category mammarenavirus is the lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV), which normally infects rodents and has four specific properties making it an ideal candidate to aim a patient’s immune system against cancer cells:

01 – Highly potent immune activator

02 – High rate of replication but does not destroy its host cells

03 – Prolonged persistence in host cells

04 – Specific replication in tumor and antigen-presenting cells

Combined, these unique features of LCMV and possibly other arenaviruses within the mammarenavirus classification, make them ideal tools for a new treatment modality that induces a maximal, comprehensive immune response towards tumor cells including distant metastases.

Immunestimulation to fight tumor cells from within

Our Unique AdaptInnate Platform

Abalos is leveraging its proprietary AdaptInnate technology platform to develop a new class of product candidates harnessing the immunostimulatory and anti-tumoral properties of arenaviruses to trigger a highly precise and directed immune response against primary tumors and their metastases. By specifically infecting, persisting and replicating inside of cancerous and antigen-presenting cells without destroying them, the systemically administrable candidates aim to trigger a tailored immune reaction from inside the tumor. This novel, non-oncolytic approach results in the induction of targeted, effective, and durable anti-tumor activity involving both the innate and adaptive arms of the immune system.

 

Our Lead Candidate ABX-001

Abalos is currently advancing ABX-001, the first candidate from its proprietary AdaptInnate platform, towards clinical evaluation. In preclinical studies, systemic administration of ABX-001 has shown marked tumor regression in multiple tumor models, induction of tumor-specific T cells, as well as an excellent pre-clinical safety profile in non-human primates. In addition, a robust and scalable cGMP manufacturing process, which allows for manufacturing at high yield, has been established.

Based on these promising results, Abalos is currently preparing the initiation of a first-in-human clinical trial with ABX-001 in patients with solid tumors, which is expected to start in 2025.

Generation of a maximal immune response

Intrinsic and Targeted Activation of a Cancer Patient’s Immune System

With our proprietary Fast Evolution platform, we generate viruses with optimized anti-cancer properties such as specific tumor-tropism, infection rate and prolonged tumor persistence. These viruses are then utilized in our AdaptInnate platform to create product candidates that can induce a strong innate and adaptive immune response against the cancer cells. This way, essential natural components of the patient’s immune system are re-programmed to eliminate the malignant tumor tissue.

Abalos’ platform candidates display a unique and differentiated mechanism of action:

01

AFTER SYSTEMIC ADMINISTRATION INTO THE HOST, THE ARENAVIRUS-BASED CANDIDATE SPECIFICALLY INFECTS TUMOR CELLS

02

THE STRONGLY ENHANCED REPLICATION OF ARENAVIRUSES SPECIFICALLY IN TUMOR AND ANTIGEN PRESENTING CELLS LEADS TO LOCAL EXPRESSION OF INFLAMMATORY CYTOKINES, ENHANCES ANTIGEN PRESENTATION AND RECRUITS CYTOTOXIC T CELLS TO THE TUMOR RESULTING IN TUMOR CELL DEATH

03

IN CONTRAST TO SHORT-TERMED ONCOLYTIC APPROACHES, THE PROLONGED REPLICATION AND PERSISTENCE OF THE NON-ONCOLYTIC ARENAVIRUS CANDIDATES IN THE TUMOR TISSUE HAS THE ABILITY TO TRIGGER A PRECISE AND DIRECTED ANTI-TUMORAL IMMUNE RESPONSE THAT ALSO TARGETS DISTANT METASTASES AND ENABLES A LONG-TERM DISEASE CONTROL

Abalos’ Unique Mechanism of Action

Infection

Virus preferentially infects tumor and antigen presenting cells
Virus preferentially infects tumor and antigen presenting cells

Induction

Viral infection induces cytokine response, which signals and attracts immune cells to the tumor
Viral infection induces cytokine response, which signals and attracts immune cells to the tumor

Invasion

Released cytokines induce invasion of tumor-specific T cells
Released cytokines induce invasion of tumor-specific T cells

Elimination

Cytotoxic T cells kill tumor cells
Cytotoxic T cells kill tumor cells
Abalos Therapeutics

Our Scientific Foundation

Abalos Therapeutics was founded to translate the innovative research of immunology and virology experts Karl Lang and Philipp Lang into novel anti-cancer therapies. They identified a specific set of mammarenaviruses that preferentially infect and proliferate in cancer cells, which results in a very strong and targeted immune response against the cancer. These findings provided a novel strategy to enable a precise immune response and activate all relevant immune cell types against primary tumors and metastases.

Prof. Dr. Karl Lang

Prof. Dr. Karl Lang

Chair of Immunology at the Medical Faculty, University Duisburg-Essen
Prof. Dr. Philipp Lang

Prof. Dr. Philipp Lang

Director of the Department of Molecular Medicine II, University Dusseldorf