Business Wire

BIOCYTOGEN

5.1.2023 22:02:38 CET | Business Wire | Press release

Share
Biocytogen Launches RenNano® Mouse, a Fully Human Heavy Chain Antibody Platform to Accelerate Nanobody Drug Discovery

Biocytogen Pharmaceuticals (Beijing) Co., Ltd. ("Biocytogen", HKEX: 02315) officially launched its fully human heavy chain antibody platform, RenNano®. RenNano® is the third member of the RenMice™ family, joining RenMab™ and RenLite®. Together, Biocytogen’s three RenMice™ platforms allow for the streamlined discovery and development of fully human monoclonal antibodies, bispecific/multispecific antibodies and single-domain antibodies (sdAbs, or nanobodies) (Figure 1).

While humans and mice generate antibodies that require heavy and light chain pairing to be functional, camels and sharks generate heavy-chain-only antibodies (HCAb), meaning their variable domains (VHH or sdAb) can function without pairing with the light chain. Owing to their nanometer-level size and small molecular weight, sdAbs have superior permeability, and thus can cross the blood-brain barrier and infiltrate solid tumor tissues. In addition, the longer CDR3 region enables sdAbs to detect the otherwise hidden epitopes of GPCRs and other challenging targets. Since sdAbs have a simple structure, they are ideal building blocks for assembling bispecific/multispecific antibodies and CAR cell therapies.

While nanobodies have its unique advantages, animals that naturally produce HCAbs, such as camels, are difficult to be widely used for the preparation of monoclonal antibodies because they are large, having a long breeding cycle and generate few offspring. Meanwhile, humanization is required to develop camelid antibody sequences into drugs, which further increases the complexity and time of drug development.

To overcome these challenges, Biocytogen engineered the RenNano® mouse by modifying the constant region of the fully human RenMab™ model to allow for HCAb production. Compared with other existing HCAb platforms, the in situ replacement of the mouse genes with the complete human heavy chain variable genes makes the RenNano® mouse one of the most comprehensive fully human antibody platforms in the world. SdAb sequences generated from RenNano® mice have the highest possible diversity, and do not require antibody humanization, which saves time and cost, and reduces risk of failure during later stages of drug development. Additionally, compared with camelids or other natural HCAb-producing species, mice are easier to breed and immunize. Immunization of RenNano® mice can generate HCAbs with diverse CDR3 sequences that recognize a variety of epitopes. These HCAbs can recognize antigens with nM-level affinity independent of light chains. Moreover, antibodies derived from RenNano® mice are capable of exerting biological functions both in vitro and in vivo. They are highly hydrophilic and have favorable developability characteristics.

The successful development of the RenNano® platform expands Biocytogen’s capabilities for antibody discovery and broadens the applications of our antibody library. We welcome global partners to realize the full potential of our RenMice™ platforms and derive antibodies to generate novel therapeutics.

About RenMice

RenMice™, i.e., RenMab™, RenLite® and RenNano® mice, which have proprietary intellectual property rights, were developed by Biocytogen over the course of 5 years using size-unlimited, precise chromosome engineering technology (SUPCE). RenMice™ is one of the top 3 fully human antibody mice made by in situ replacement technology globally. All RenMice™ members contain full human heavy chain VDJ loci replaced in situ. Regarding antibody κ light chains, RenMab™ mouse contains full human VJ loci replaced in situ and RenLite® mouse contains a single human VJ locus replaced in situ. RenNano® mouse has modified heavy chain constant regions to generate functional heavy-chain-only antibodies (HCAbs).

RenMice™ can generate robust immune response and produce fully human antibodies with great diversity, specificity, affinity and druggability. Using RenMice™, Biocytogen has built 6 fully human antibody discovery platforms, covering various types of targets and modalities such as monoclonal antibody (RenMab™), bispecific antibody and bispecific ADC (RenLite®), nanobody (RenNano®), TCR-mimic antibody for intracellular targets (HLA/RenMice, humanized RenMice™), and antibody platform against GPCR and other challenging targets (RenMice™ knockouts).

RenMice™ has been recognized by top biopharmaceutical companies around the world, including Merck KGaA, Xencor, BeiGene, and Innovent.

About Biocytogen:

Biocytogen (HKEX: 02315) is a global biotechnology company that drives the research and development of novel antibody-based drugs with innovative technologies. Using its proprietary RenMab™/RenLite®/RenNano® mice platforms for fully human monoclonal antibody, bispecific/multispecific antibody and nanobody development, Biocytogen has integrated its in vivo drug efficacy screening platforms and strong clinical development expertise to streamline the entire drug development process. Biocytogen is undertaking a large-scale project to develop first-in-class and/or best-in-class antibody drugs for more than 1000 targets, known as Project Integrum. This project has resulted in 28 drug co-development agreements and 16 RenMice™ licensing agreements with companies around the world, including several partnerships with multinational pharmaceutical companies (MNCs). Biocytogen's pipeline includes 12 core products, among which two products are in phase II multi-regional clinical trials and two products are in phase I. Headquartered in Beijing, Biocytogen has branches in Haimen Jiangsu, Shanghai, Boston, USA and Heidelberg, Germany. For more information, please visit http://en.biocytogen.com.cn.

To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230105005963/en/

About Business Wire

Business Wire
Business Wire
101 California Street, 20th Floor
CA 94111 San Francisco

http://businesswire.com
DK

Subscribe to releases from Business Wire

Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Latest releases from Business Wire

Carnegie Mellon University and Cleveland Clinic Develop AI System to Interpret Cardiac MRI Scans with Enhanced Accuracy21.5.2026 14:05:00 CEST | Press release

Trained on more than 13,000 patient studies, novel system significantly outperforms existing models by up to 35% A team of researchers from Carnegie Mellon University, in collaboration with Cleveland Clinic’s Cardiovascular Innovation Research Center, has developed an artificial intelligence (AI) system capable of interpreting some of the most complex heart scans in medicine, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), without the need for manually labeled training data. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260521762286/en/ A team of researchers from Carnegie Mellon University, in collaboration with Cleveland Clinic’s Cardiovascular Innovation Research Center, has developed an artificial intelligence (AI) system capable of interpreting some of the most complex heart scans in medicine, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), without the need for manually labeled training data. The novel system, called CMR-CLIP, is d

Otovo Hits 30,000 Customers in Under a Year, Tackling the Growing ‘Solar Service Crisis’21.5.2026 14:00:00 CEST | Press release

A growing wave of unsupported solar systems and rising electricity prices are creating strong demand for Otovo’s energy service platform Otovo ASA (“Otovo”), a leading global energy service provider for residential and commercial customers, today announced it has reached 30,000 customers across the U.S. and Europe. A total of 20,000 customers have enrolled in Otovo Care, the Company’s membership-based home and commercial energy service, which is powered by Otovo’s industry-leading AI platform, Endurance™. “Reaching 30,000 customers in less than year is proof positive that home and business owners value their power systems,” said William J. (John) Berger, CEO of Otovo. “The ‘solar service crisis’ that is leaving millions of orphaned energy systems without support is driving strong interest in our Otovo Care membership program. Every day your home or commercial power system is not working, you are throwing money away. Otovo’s rapid response service platform keeps you up and running, ensu

The Live Moment Effect: Genius Sports and MediaScience Study Finds Specific Moments in Live Sports Can Double Unaided Brand Recall21.5.2026 14:00:00 CEST | Press release

New research shows that brands aligned with emotionally heightened moments in live sports can improve ad effectiveness Genius Sports Limited (NYSE: GENI), a global leader in real-time sports data, today released new biometric research conducted with MediaScience showing that ads delivered immediately after emotionally heightened moments in live sports can double unaided brand recall. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260521475265/en/ The Live Moment Effect report from Genius Sports and MediaScience. The study, The Live Moment Effect, finds that advertising effectiveness is significantly influenced by a viewer’s emotional state immediately before an ad is shown. In controlled biometric testing, ads shown after high-intensity sporting moments, such as near-scoring plays or crucial momentum shifts, delivered approximately double the unaided brand recall of baseline conditions. The Moment Before the Ad Matters The r

Merck Announces First Patient Dosed in Phase 3 Study for Investigational Antibody-Drug Conjugate in Colorectal Cancer21.5.2026 14:00:00 CEST | Press release

Precemtabart tocentecan (Precem-TcT) is investigated as a potential first-in-class anti-CEACAM5 ADC, for the treatment of metastatic CRC (mCRC) CEACAM5 is overexpressed in the majority of colorectal tumors (~90%), and requires no patient selection Significant unmet need remains for clinically meaningful innovation in colorectal cancer (CRC), the second leading cause of cancer death worldwide Not intended for Canada-, UK- or US-based media Merck, a leading science and technology company, today announced that the first patient has been dosed in the Phase 3 PROCEADE®-CRC-03 trial (NCT07549412). The study is evaluating precemtabart tocentecan (Precem‑TcT), a potential first‑in‑class investigational anti‑CEACAM5 antibody‑drug conjugate (ADC), for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). “Leveraging our novel payload‑linker technology, Precem‑TcT is the first CEACAM5‑targeted ADC in clinical studies with an exatecan payload, rationally designed for stability and enhanced cancer

Baszucki Group Funds Oxford University Clinical Trial of Ketogenic Therapy for Early Psychosis21.5.2026 13:00:00 CEST | Press release

Randomized controlled trial will evaluate both symptom progression and underlying biology Baszucki Group today announced a £1.17 million grant to support a randomized controlled trial at the University of Oxford assessing the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of a ketogenic diet for patients at clinical high risk of psychosis (CHR-P). Researchers will test this nutritional therapy's ability to improve patients' mental and physical health. This project builds on a growing body of research suggesting the potential of metabolic therapies in treating serious mental illness. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260521877110/en/ Baszucki Group Funds £1.17 Million for University of Oxford Trial of Ketogenic Therapy for Early Psychosis Psychotic disorders carry a massive personal burden and are associated with a lower life expectancy. Psychosis does not develop immediately, but typically emerges following a period of early

In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.

Visit our pressroom
World GlobeA line styled icon from Orion Icon Library.HiddenA line styled icon from Orion Icon Library.Eye