- VBL Therapeutics (NASDAQ:VBLT) jumps 14% premarket on heels of new data demonstrating ex-vivo activity of its investigational anti-MOSPD2 (motile sperm domain-containing protein 2) mAbs in patients with relapsing-remitting and progressive multiple sclerosis (MS). The results are being presented at the MS Virtual 2020.
- Anti-MOSPD2 mAbs significantly inhibited migration of monocytes isolated from all MS patients (n=33) by up to 97%, regardless of disease severity, gender or active treatment.
- The activity was seen not only in the monocytes from relapsing-remitting, but also from primary progressive and secondary progressive patients with high Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) scores of 5.5-6.5.
- “We believe our antibodies open up a completely novel mechanism for potential treatment of MS, through blocking the accumulation of monocytes/macrophages in the central nervous system. This mechanism is differentiated from the existing available treatments, which mostly target T and B cells,” said Itzhak Mendel, Ph.D., Immunology Director of VBL Therapeutics.
- VBL is currently advancing lead anti-MOSPD2 candidate VB-601 through IND-enabling studies, aiming to start a first-in-human study in H2 2021.
- For a link to VBL's presentation at the MS Virtual 2020 conference, see: LINK