Trellis Bioscience

About Trellis Bioscience

Trellis Bioscience is a clinical-stage biotechnology company that specializes in the discovery and development of native human monoclonal antibodies for treating life-threatening infectious diseases, particularly those resistant to conventional drugs. The company was founded in 2005 by Larry M. Kauvar, who serves as the Chief Scientific Officer. His background in molecular biology and biochemistry, with a Ph.D. from Yale and postdoctoral work at Caltech, has been central to the company's scientific direction.

The core of Trellis's operations is its proprietary technology platform, CellSpot™. This platform is designed to identify potent antibodies directly from the human immune repertoire, overcoming previous limitations in antibody discovery. CellSpot™ enables the selection of elite antibodies that bind with high affinity to highly conserved targets on pathogens. The company's business model centers on advancing its antibody candidates through clinical trials to eventually commercialize them as novel therapeutics. It serves the global healthcare market, specifically focusing on patients with critical infectious diseases for whom existing treatments are failing.

The lead product candidate, TRL1068, is a native human monoclonal antibody targeting a family of bacterial proteins called DNABII. These proteins are crucial for the structural integrity of bacterial biofilms, which are a major cause of persistent and drug-resistant infections. TRL1068 works by binding to these proteins, disrupting the biofilm matrix and making the bacteria more susceptible to clearance by the immune system or antibiotics. A key feature of this approach is that the target protein is only exposed after the bacteria are dead, which is expected to significantly limit the development of drug resistance. TRL1068 has received Fast Track, Qualified Infectious Disease Product (QIDP), and Orphan Drug designations from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), highlighting its potential to address a significant unmet medical need.