Memo Therapeutics AG Initiates Phase 1 Clinical Study of MTX-005 Against BK Virus Infection

May 31, 2022 |

2 min read

Memo Therapeutics AG, an innovator in the field of antibody discovery and development, announced the initiation of a phase 1 clinical study targeting BK polyomavirus infection in renal transplant patients.

Antibody addresses high unmet medical need in large and rapidly growing kidney transplant market

SCHLIEREN/ZURICH, Switzerland--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Memo Therapeutics AG (“MTx”), an innovator in the field of antibody discovery and development, announced today the initiation of a phase 1 clinical study targeting BK polyomavirus (“BKV”) infection in renal transplant patients. The phase 1, single-blind, partially randomized, placebo-controlled study will assess safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of single and multiple ascending intravenous doses of MTX-005 in up to 56 healthy adult volunteers (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05358106).

MTX-005 is a therapeutic antibody candidate that was identified through the screening of a vast number of kidney transplant patients infected with BK virus to find those few with an eradicating antibody response against the virus. Selected from thousands of BKV-specific antibodies, MTX-005 completely neutralizes all strains of BKV at extremely low concentrations.

BKV infection poses a significant threat in kidney transplantation. Normally dormant, the immunosuppression needed for transplant survival can trigger reactivation of BKV in 40 to 50% of kidney transplant recipients. Up to 10% of these cases can progress to BKV associated nephropathy, which poses a serious threat to the transplant. There is currently no disease modifying therapy available except for the lowering of immunosuppression. However, this significantly increases the risk of a graft rejection reaction, leading to impaired functionality and longevity, or graft failure.

“With 50,000 kidney transplant procedures carried out in the US and Europe alone, MTX-005 addresses a large and rapidly growing market, with an estimated size well beyond USD 1 billion,” said Dr. Karsten Fischer, Chief Executive Officer of Memo Therapeutics AG. “We look forward to reporting phase 1 clinical data for our best- and potentially first-in-class antibody in the first half of 2023.”

“MTX-005 could be a game-changer for patients who are currently seriously underserved. The antibody possesses a 100x more potent neutralization capacity than benchmark antibodies and we are encouraged by the feedback by key opinion leaders, which has been overwhelmingly positive,” said Dr. Jürgen Beck, Chief Medical Officer of Memo Therapeutics AG.

About Memo Therapeutics AG

Memo Therapeutics AG is an innovator in the field of antibody discovery and immune repertoire analysis. The company’s antibody discovery platform uses robust, simple, and fast microfluidic single-cell molecular cloning and screening technologies to enable antibody repertoire mining and antibody discovery at unprecedented speed, efficiency, and sensitivity.

Exploiting the power of its microfluidic single-cell molecular cloning and screening technologies, Memo Therapeutics AG engages in antibody discovery across species and indications for proprietary and partnered projects. The company’s current pipeline features programs in infectious diseases and immuno-oncology. Memo Therapeutics AG is a private company located in Bio-Technopark Schlieren/Zurich, Switzerland.