Tychan to Begin First Clinical Trials for First Novel Monoclonal Antibody Against COVID-19

June 10, 2020 |

3 min read

Tychan, a Singapore-based clinical-stage biotechnology company, is initiating Phase 1 clinical trials to evaluate TY027, the first novel monoclonal antibody (mAb) that specifically targets SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

Draws on Experience Developing Treatments for Yellow Fever and Zika in Accelerated Timeframe

SINGAPORE--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Tychan, a Singapore-based clinical-stage biotechnology company, is initiating Phase 1 clinical trials to evaluate TY027, the first novel monoclonal antibody (mAb) that specifically targets SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Through the use of the company’s proprietary technology and rapid response techniques, the trial is expected to take only about six weeks.

TY027 showed full clearance of the virus in laboratory studies and demonstrated safety in preclinical studies, as well as achieved a successful three-week drug stability test. Approved by the Singapore regulatory agency, Health Sciences Authority, the Phase 1 trial will be conducted by SingHealth Investigational Medicine Unit. Upon reaching the key milestones of the Phase 1 trial, Tychan will seek to establish the efficacy of the mAb, and this efficacy data is expected to be available in the third quarter of this year.

The development of TY027 thus-far, including discovery and laboratory and preclinical studies, has taken only four months, while this process typically takes 12 – 18 months. This four-month timeline is a further improvement from Tychan’s successful mAb efforts with Yellow Fever, which took seven months from design to first-in-human infusion, and Zika, which took nine months. This validates the significant progress of the development of Tychan’s proprietary rapid-response platform, made possible by the breakthrough thinking and innovation of its founders, Professor Ram Sasisekharan and Professor Ooi Eng Eong and their team.

Tychan developed TY027 in partnership with several Singapore government agencies, including the Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Health, and the Economic Development Board. TY027 is being explored for the treatment of patients with COVID-19 to slow the progression of the disease and accelerate recovery, as well as for its potential to provide temporary protection against infection with SARS-CoV-2. Currently, there is no proven antibody-based treatment for COVID-19 and there is also no licensed vaccine to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection.

“Rapidly developing a cure for COVID-19 is exactly the raison d’etre of Tychan. While still a few months away from knowing if we are successful, we are hopeful because of our success in the development of mAbs against Zika and Yellow Fever. We will continue with the fast pace of development as we are conscious that a day saved is a day less of misery,” said Teo Ming Kian, Chairman of the Board, Tychan.

“Although done with great speed, the development is not fast enough for those who have lost their lives and their loved ones, and had their livelihoods disrupted and economies ravaged. What we want to do is to not only help people around the world avoid the devastating effects of COVID-19, but better prepare for the next unfortunate infectious disease outbreak through the learnings of developing therapeutics for each outbreak”, he added.

Tychan’s endeavour to build a rapid response capability against infectious disease outbreaks with its proprietary technology was first supported by Temasek Foundation Ecosperity and Temasek Life Sciences Lab in the quick set-up of its lab and production facilities, without which this accelerated timeline would not be achieved.

About Tychan Pte. Ltd.

Tychan, a Singapore based clinical-stage biotechnology company, is focused on bringing life-saving treatments for emerging infections to those in need through disruptive technologies. In a coordinated effort with regulatory authorities, the company is accelerating the translation from non-clinical studies to clinical trials for emerging pathogens. Founded by Professor Ram Sasisekharan of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)/Singapore MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART) and Professor Ooi Eng Eong of Duke-National University of Singapore (Duke-NUS) Medical School, whose expertise spans the fields of biologics development and biology of acute viral infections. Temasek Holdings is the founding investor of Tychan. For more information on Tychan Pte. Ltd, please visit: www.tychan.com.