Kymab

Kymab was a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company specialized in the discovery and development of fully human monoclonal antibody therapeutics for immune-mediated diseases and immuno-oncology. The company was founded in 2009 by Professor Allan Bradley and Glenn Alfons Friedrich as a spin-out from the Wellcome Sanger Institute. Bradley's research at the institute, which involved developing mouse models to understand human disease, led to the creation of Kymab's core technology. He and Friedrich crafted a business plan to commercialize the use of mice for producing fully human antibodies.

The company's proprietary technology platform was collectively called IntelliSelect®, which featured the Kymouse™. This platform involved genetically engineering mice with the complete set of genes for the human antibody repertoire. The Kymouse™ was designed to produce a highly diverse range of human antibodies in response to antigens, increasing the probability of discovering potent, best-in-class drug candidates for challenging disease targets. This technology addressed limitations of previous-generation transgenic mice by correctly positioning large segments of human DNA within the mouse genome. The antibodies discovered using this platform were essentially ready for development as drugs.

Kymab's business model focused on building its own pipeline of therapeutics and partnering with pharmaceutical companies. Its pipeline included treatments for immuno-oncology, autoimmune diseases, inflammation, and hematology. A key asset was KY1005, a fully human monoclonal antibody targeting OX40L, a critical regulator of the immune system. This drug showed positive results in a Phase 2a trial for atopic dermatitis. Another significant pipeline candidate was KY1044, an oncology asset in early-stage development for solid tumors.

The company successfully raised significant capital, including a $20 million equity financing from the Wellcome Trust in 2010 and subsequent funding rounds involving investors like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Malin Corporation, and ORI Fund. In April 2021, Sanofi completed its acquisition of Kymab for an upfront payment of approximately $1.1 billion, with up to an additional $350 million in milestone payments. The acquisition gave Sanofi full rights to Kymab's pipeline, including KY1005, and access to its antibody discovery technologies and research capabilities.

Keywords: monoclonal antibody, antibody discovery, biopharmaceutical, immuno-oncology, immune-mediated diseases, Kymouse, transgenic mice, therapeutics, atopic dermatitis, OX40L, human antibodies, drug development, Sanofi acquisition, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Allan Bradley, clinical-stage, antibody engineering, autoimmune disease, inflammation, hematology, KY1005