The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) has partnered with Mapp Biopharmaceutical, Inc. to develop a new monoclonal antibody therapeutic for all seven major types of Botulinum Neurotoxin.
Botulinum is an incredibly lethal substance responsible for botulism, though it is also used commercially for medical and cosmetic purposes. It can typically result from wounds or intestinal infections, as well as ingesting the toxin from food. It causes weakness and paralysis in muscles.
Currently, only two effective medical countermeasures exist for Botulinum neurotoxins, and both rely on shrinking supplies of polyclonal immunoglobulin from human or equine sources. Further, only one works on all seven types of Botulinum, thus creating a need for innovative new treatments.
Mapp seeks to fill that gap through monoclonal antibodies. The company will isolate, screen, and characterize those antibodies with its collaborators, combining them into a pan-Botulinum Neurotoxin treatment consisting of four or fewer monoclonal antibodies. These candidates will be expressed through a Chinese Hamster Ovary cell expression system, thus avoiding any need for human or other animal sources.