PetMedix enters antibody discovery partnership with Zoetis

PetMedix has partnered with Zoetis to create novel, fully species-specific companion animal monoclonal antibody therapeutics (mAbs) using PetMedix’s proprietary transgenic platforms. This collaboration will allow PetMedix to undertake discovery activities against various key targets, and Zoetis has an exclusive opportunity to develop and offer these therapies to market.

According to a company release,¹ Zoetis is a leader in companion animal antibody therapeutics (ie, fully species-specific antibodies) and has currently brought 3 novel mAbs to market. The company's extensive research and development expertise combined with its manufacturing, sales and marketing scale and success make it an ideal partner for PetMedix which flourishes in antibody discovery. This is due to the combination of its proprietary transgenic platforms and team of approximately 50 world-class scientists in Cambridge, UK.

“We are excited to be partnering with Zoetis. Bringing together our unique pet antibody discovery engine with their proven ability to not just develop antibodies, but also make them a commercial success, is set to be a winning combination. PetMedix’s mission is to elevate expectations in pet care, and we feel that this collaboration is another step towards that,” said Tom Weaver, PhD, founder and CEO of PetMedix.

Although there are many technologies that have been used to develop human therapeutic antibodies, 40 years of research has demonstrated the benefits of antibodies that are 100% species-matched to the patient. Of the 2 most prevalent technologies to create fully human antibodies—transgenic rodent platforms and phage display—the transgenic-based methods have resulted in many more approved therapeutics despite being the newer technology.² Additionally, monoclonal antibodies from transgenic platforms have been substantially more commercially successful in human medicine, with 10 transgenic mAbs surpassing $1B in sales in 2020, compared to just 2 phage mAbs in the same period. ³

PetMedix aims to add to this success for companion animals. Its Ky9 and Felyne platforms are designed similarly to the gold-standard human transgenic platforms, such as the IntelliSelect platform of Kymab (now a Sanofi company) and the Velocimmune platform of Regeneron.

This discovery partnership with PetMedix is also the third publicly announced deal that Zoetis has completed companies using transgenic platforms for antibody discovery, with PetMedix offering a novel technology designed specially for canine and feline antibodies.

“At Zoetis, we are committed to continuing our leadership to develop and discover new therapeutic antibodies that can help pets live longer, healthier lives. Collaborating with PetMedix complements our own research and development activities, and we are pleased to be working with them to explore areas of unmet clinical needs in pets,” remarked Robert J. Polzer, executive vice president and president, research and cevelopment at Zoetis.

This collaboration, in addition to that announced in January 2021 with Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health, form part of PetMedix’s long term strategy for offering transformative new therapies to market. PetMedix has an extensive internal pipeline, discovered in house using its proprietary platforms, and strives to find the best methods for getting these novel medicines to veterinarians.

References

1. PetMedix enters into antibody discovery collaboration with Zoetis. PetMedix. News release. January 7, 2022. Accessed January 7, 2022. https://www.petmedix.com/petmedix-enters-into-antibody-discovery-collaboration-with-zoetis
2. Antibody therapeutics approved or in regulatory review in the EU or US. Antibody society. Accessed January 7, 2022. https://www.antibodysociety.org/resources/approved-antibodies
3. Antibodies factsheet. Understanding Animal Research. October 15, 2021. Accessed January 7, 2022.
   https://www.understandinganimalresearch.org.uk/news/antibodies-factsheet/