GSK, a pharmaceutical company, is spending $300 million to buy a special type of drug from Chimagen Biosciences, a company in Shanghai. This drug is called a bispecific antibody and might help treat autoimmune diseases like lupus. Right now, it’s being tested for cancer in the U.S. and China. The drug works by binding to two proteins on cells, CD19 and CD20, which could help remove faulty B cells that are causing problems.
GSK plans to start testing this drug for autoimmune diseases next year, as long as the deal gets approved by regulators.
This move by GSK is similar to one made by another company, Merck, which also invested in a bispecific antibody for autoimmune diseases. Many drug companies are exploring whether cancer treatments could work for conditions like lupus, where the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks its own cells.
Recent studies suggest that treatments initially meant for certain types of cancer might also be effective for autoimmune diseases, leading companies to explore these possibilities further. Bispecific antibodies, like the one from Chimagen, may offer a simpler way to treat these diseases by bringing immune cells into contact with diseased cells.
Chimagen’s drug focuses on two proteins found on B cells and has a low interaction with another immune protein, CD3, which might reduce side effects. GSK is optimistic about the drug’s potential to treat lupus and similar diseases, aiming to meet needs that current treatments do not fully address.