Molecular Partners’ trifunctional COVID-19 therapeutic; plus F-star, Inscopix and Ocean Biomedical

Trifunctional fusion protein for COVID-19
Molecular Partners AG (SIX:MOLN) is using its designed ankyrin repeat protein (DARPin) platform to develop a trifunctional SARS-CoV-2 S protein inhibitor. In collaboration with the Swiss Federal Office for Civil Protection, it identified monospecific DARPins that, when joined together in a fusion protein, synergistically bind three regions of the viral spike protein to inhibit its ability to bind ACE2, undergo proteolytic activation and adopt conformational changes associated with membrane fusion. The company expects to produce a GMP compliant compound in 3Q20.

F-star’s bispecific checkpoint inhibitor
F-star Biotechnology Ltd. has published data on its FS118 program suggesting the tetravalent bispecific antibody against the checkpoint targets PD-L1 and LAG3 could help overcome checkpoint inhibitor resistance. In a Clinical Cancer Research article, the company showed a mouse version of FS118 reduced tumor infiltration by LAG3-positive T cells in mice with colon cancer whereas an anti-PD-L1 antibody alone increased LAG3 expression. The bispecific also decreased tumor volume compared with a combination of monospecific antibodies against PD-L1 and LAG3...