Bispecific antibodies have gotten plenty of press in recent years, but less prominent in headlines are bifunctional ones – i.e., those that boast one binding site for an antigen and another site for a non-antibody molecule such as a toxin or drug, taking aim at a single target and bringing a secondary function for extra oomph.
Naya Biosciences Inc. has expanded its bifunctional antibody pipeline to include NY-500, a novel PD-1 x VEGF tetravalent bifunctional antibody for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and other solid tumors.
Researchers from Naya Biosciences Inc. and collaborators presented preclinical data on NY-303, a natural killer (NK) cell engager bispecific antibody targeting both GPC3 and NKp46. NKp46 is a cell surface receptor involved in NK cell activation and the elimination of target cancer cells.