Light Chain Bioscience (Novimmune)

Founded in 1998 by the immunologist Professor Bernard Mach, Novimmune SA established itself as a Swiss biopharmaceutical company focused on antibody-based drugs for immune-related diseases and cancer. A pivotal moment occurred in July 2019 when the company divested its lead drug, emapalumab, to Sobi. This strategic shift prompted a rebranding to Light Chain Bioscience, reflecting a concentrated focus on its proprietary bispecific antibody technology.

Light Chain Bioscience operates in the biopharmaceutical market, specializing in immuno-oncology and inflammatory diseases. The company's business model revolves around research and development, forming strategic partnerships with other pharmaceutical companies to advance its pipeline and technology platform. This collaborative approach is exemplified by agreements with Genentech, Tiziana Life Sciences, Baxalta, and TG Therapeutics. Revenue is generated through these partnerships, which include upfront payments, milestone achievements, and potential royalties on net sales.

The core of the company's offering is its κλ-body (kappa-lambda-body) platform, which engineers multi-specific antibodies. A key feature of this technology is its ability to create bispecific antibodies that maintain the natural structure and sequence of human antibodies. These antibodies consist of two identical heavy chains and two distinct light chains (one kappa and one lambda), allowing them to bind to two different targets simultaneously. This approach aims to reduce the risk of unwanted immune reactions and improve stability and half-life in patients compared to engineered antibody fragments. The platform is being applied to develop therapies that can, for instance, selectively block the CD47 "do not eat me" signal on cancer cells, enhancing their destruction by the immune system while sparing healthy cells. The company has advanced multiple candidates to clinical and preclinical stages and is actively developing treatments for conditions like Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Keywords: bispecific antibodies, immuno-oncology, antibody engineering, kappa-lambda-body, CD47 targeting, biopharmaceutical, drug discovery, monoclonal antibodies, autoimmune diseases, cancer therapy, multispecific antibodies, antibody platform, clinical-stage, orphan drugs, CD28 targeting, human antibodies, immunology, protein engineering, therapeutic antibodies, drug development