OncoOne Announces Initiation of IND‐Enabling Studies for Lead Program Targeting Oxidized Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor
Company Secures EUR 1M to Explore Potential in Inflammatory Diseases
OncoOne, a biotechnology company focused on discovering precision medicines for cancer and other indications, today announced the start of Investigational New Drug (IND)‐enabling preclinical evaluation for their lead therapeutic candidate, a novel bioengineered monoclonal antibody targeting oxidized macrophage migration inhibitory factor (oxMIF). OxMIF, the disease‐related isoform of the macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), was discovered by OncoOne’s founders as an attractive target for the development of novel treatments for cancer, as well as other indications, due to its exclusive presence in diseased tissue. OncoOne is further enhancing the potential of its antibody program by combining their lead candidate with a companion diagnostic, OncoOne’s novel radiolabeled anti‐oxMIF antibody. The opportunity to develop the oxMIF antibody with a radioisotope diagnostic will enable improved detection and visibility of solid tumors harboring oxMIF, while guiding future clinical development.
Separately, the company announced that it has received a EUR 1M public funding grant from the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG), the leading national funding agency for industrial research and development in Austria, to advance its oxMIF targeting modalitiesinto inflammatory diseases, widening its application in new indications.
“OncoOne’s goal is to leverage our deep understanding of oxMIF and its role in solid tumors to help develop novel, targeted treatments. The achievement of formal IND‐enabling testing for our lead candidate and the associated radiolabeled diagnostic is a significant milestone for us, and we intend to be in clinic within the next 18 months,” said Randolf Kerschbaumer, PhD, CEO of OncoOne.
Dr. Kerschbaumer added, “We have also defined an opportunity to expand the potential of oxMIF as a target in inflammatory diseases, further supporting the possibility to provide new therapies to benefit an expanded group of patients.”
About OncoOne
OncoOne seeks to overcome the limitations of targeting macrophage migration inhibitory factor by harnessing the high tumor‐specificity of the disease‐related isoform, oxidized macrophage migration inhibitory factor (oxMIF). The Company is focused on developing multiple proprietary drug modalities to leverage oxMIF’s potential as a target for systemic treatment of pancreatic, colorectal, ovarian and lung cancer. Equipped with a successful track‐ record in early‐stage drug development, as well as a deep understanding of the target itself, OncoOne’s leadership will advance a pipeline based on oxMIF’s promise in oncology, with the goal of expanding into other disease areas. www.oncoone.com
For OncoOne:
Randolf Kerschbaumer, Ph.D., CEO
Website: http://www.oncoone.com/
E‐mail: office@oncoone.com
Phone: +43 1 909 2208 ‐ 6000
For Media Inquiries:
Trophic Communications
Gretchen Schweitzer or Valeria Fisher
E‐mail: OncoOne@trophic.eu
Phone: +49 892 388 7735 or +49 172 861 8540