Epsilogen and Lonza Announce Successful Large-Scale GMP Manufacturing of MOv18, an IgE Antibody Targeting Ovarian Cancer
Epsilogen, a global leader in the development of immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies to treat cancer, and Lonza, a global development and manufacturing partner to the pharma, biotech and nutrition industries, today announced successful completion of Good Manufacturing Practice (“GMP”) manufacturing of MOv18 IgE, Epsilogen’s lead IgE antibody drug candidate. This included process development and cGMP manufacturing of this complex molecule for clinical supply in less than ten months at Lonza’s Slough (UK) site.
IgE antibodies represent powerful alternatives to more commonly used IgG antibodies. They bring exciting opportunities for oncology thanks to their strong potency, long tissue half-life, and the ability to target tumour cells expressing very low antigen levels. Current research and monitoring indicate that this is the first time GMP manufacturing of a therapeutic IgE antibody has been completed at scale. Epsilogen intends to use this new material for its upcoming Phase Ib study in platinum-resistant ovarian cancer (PROC) patients, scheduled to start later in 2024.
Dr. Tim Wilson, Chief Executive Officer, Epsilogen, commented: “The successful GMP manufacture at scale of MOv18 IgE marks another major milestone in realizing the potential of IgE antibodies as a new and differentiated class of cancer therapies for the treatment of patients with solid tumours. Decades of technical achievement and financial investment have made GMP manufacture of the IgG class of therapeutic antibodies a routine process. Lonza and Epsilogen have worked together to apply Lonza’s knowledge and experience to MOv18 IgE. As a part of the IgE antibody class, it is structurally and functionally distinct from IgG. It is very gratifying to see this effort and investment pay off.
Having generated encouraging safety and tolerability data in our Phase I safety study for MOv18 IgE in patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer, we look forward to exploring further the signals of efficacy observed in that clinical trial and anticipate starting a Phase Ib efficacy study in this setting later in 2024. We remain optimistic about the potential of IgE antibodies as a new treatment modality to improve outcomes for patients with difficult-to-treat cancers.”
Stefan Egli, Global Head of Mammalian Biologics, Lonza, added: “This marks a significant milestone for Epsilogen, bringing its promising IgE-based product closer to the clinic. Having produced the GMP batch of this non-platform complex molecule under record time is also a statement that demonstrates the strategic value of our manufacturing services offering tailored to each molecule’s unique properties, and analytical and purification needs.”
MOv18 IgE targets the folate receptor alpha (FR alpha) antigen and Epsilogen believes that this was the first, and remains the only, IgE antibody in clinical development. Epsilogen has successfully completed a Phase I safety study of MOv18 IgE in platinum-resistant ovarian cancer patients where it was found to be safe and well-tolerated, with evidence of anti-tumour activity observed. This study and its results were reported in Nature Communications.
About Epsilogen Ltd
Epsilogen is a global leader in the development of immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies to treat cancer. IgE’s natural function is to provide immunological defence against certain parasites. This functionality makes it an ideal treatment of solid tumours due to its strong potency, enhanced tumour access and long tissue half-life.
Epsilogen’s lead product candidate, MOv18 IgE, is the first therapeutic IgE antibody to enter the clinic and encouraging data from a completed Phase I trial demonstrated MOv18 IgE to be safe and well tolerated with early signs of clinical activity. The company is also developing a proprietary IgEG antibody platform combining elements from both IgE and IgG antibodies into novel and proprietary antibody molecules with enhanced functionality.
Epsilogen began operations in 2017 as a spin-out of King’s College London and has attracted venture capital financing from Epidarex Capital, Novartis Venture Fund, 3B Future Health, British Patient Capital, ALSA Ventures and Schroders Capital amongst others. Find out more at epsilogen.com.
Disclaimer
Certain matters discussed in this media advisory may constitute forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations and estimates of Lonza Group Ltd, although Lonza Group Ltd can give no assurance that these expectations and estimates will be achieved. Investors are cautioned that all forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainty and are qualified in their entirety. The actual results may differ materially in the future from the forward-looking statements included in this news release due to various factors. Furthermore, except as otherwise required by law, Lonza Group Ltd disclaims any intention or obligation to update the statements contained in this media advisory.
All trademarks belong to Lonza and are registered in CH, US and/or EU, or belong to their respective third party owners and are used only for informational purposes.
Privacy Policy link
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240305297151/en/
Contact information
Epsilogen Contact Details
Simon Conway
Senior Managing Director
FTI Consulting
epsilogen@fticonsulting.com
+44 (0)20 3727 1000
Lonza Contact Details
media@lonza.com
About Business Wire
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
IonQ och QuantumBasel förlänger sitt långsiktiga samarbete till nästa generations kvantsystem20.12.2025 21:32:00 CET | Pressmeddelande
IonQ (NYSE: IONQ), världens ledande kvantdatorföretag, tillkännagav i dag ett utökat samarbetsavtal med QuantumBasel, kvantinitiativet vid uptownBasel, Schweiz internationella innovationscampus. Genom det utökade avtalet beviljas QuantumBasel äganderätten till det befintliga IonQ Forte Enterprise-systemet och blir ägare av ett nästa generationens Tempo-system. Det nya avtalet ökar det totala värdet av samarbetet mellan QuantumBasel och IonQ till över 60 miljoner USD samtidigt som IonQ:s roll i Schweiz därigenom förlängs i ytterligare fyra år, t.o.m. 2029. QuantumBasel är IonQ:s officiella innovationscenter i Europa och fungerar som ett nav för europeiska industrier, universitet och forskningsinstitut som vill utforska praktiska kvantdatortillämpningar och få tillgång till IonQ:s senaste storföretagssystem. ”Vårt förlängda samarbete med QuantumBasel utgör en hörnsten i IonQ:s globala strategi”, säger Niccolo de Masi, styrelseordförande och CEO på IonQ. ”QuantumBasel fortsätter att vara
EIG Acquires a 49.87% Stake in Transportadora de Gas del Perú (TgP)19.12.2025 18:42:00 CET | Press Release
EIG, through its managed investment vehicles, acquired a 49.87% equity stake in Transportadora de Gas del Perú S.A. (“TgP”) from Canada Pension Plan Investment Board today. TgP operates Peru’s principal natural gas and natural gas liquids pipelines under a long-term concession, supplying approximately 40% of the country’s power generation. “We are delighted to complete this transaction and embark on the next chapter of our partnership with TgP,” said Matt Hartman, EIG’s Global Head of Infrastructure. “Our priority is to support TgP’s operational excellence and long-term stability, delivering value for customers and stakeholders throughout Peru.” About EIG EIG is a leading institutional investor in the global energy and infrastructure sectors with $24.3 billion assets under management as of September 30, 2025. EIG specializes in private investments in energy and energy-related infrastructure on a global basis. During its 43-year history, EIG has committed over $51.7 billion to the energ
Klarna Partners With Coinbase to Add Stablecoin to Funding Mix19.12.2025 18:00:00 CET | Press Release
Klarna, the global digital bank and flexible payments provider, has partnered with Coinbase to add stablecoin funding to its broad range of traditional sources of funding, which include consumer deposits, long-term loans and short-dated commercial paper. The digital bank plans to raise short-term funding from institutional investors denominated in USDC utilizing Coinbase’s digitally native infrastructure. Adding a USDC-denominated funding source enables Klarna to access USD-like funding directly, tapping into a new pool of institutional investors. “This is an exciting first step into a new way to raise funding,” said Niclas Neglén, Chief Financial Officer, Klarna, “Stablecoin connects us to an entirely new class of institutional investors, and gives us the potential to diversify our funding sources in ways that simply weren't possible a few years ago. This is just the beginning of how digital assets can work alongside our traditional funding sources." Klarna chose Coinbase for this ini
CyberArk Named a Leader in IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Integrated Solutions for Identity Security 202519.12.2025 17:00:00 CET | Press Release
CyberArk (NASDAQ: CYBR), the global leader in identity security, today announced that it has been recognized as a Leader in the IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Integrated Solutions for Identity Security 2025 Vendor Assessment. CyberArk extends dynamic privilege controls across all identity types with its unified platform, enabling organizations to improve efficiencies and streamline security operations. This IDC MarketScape report notes, “More change has occurred in the identity security marketplace in the past two years than in almost a decade. Vendors are entering a new phase defined by the emergence of intelligence technologies, none of which are specifically defined by any industry standards. Though different by design, the new adjacent IAM offerings are largely focused on improved vulnerability and threat management visibility and automated and predictive attack detection capabilities.” It also notes, “By addressing these evolving identity types within a unified framework, CyberArk enh
New York Liberty and Ant International’s Alipay+ Announce Multiyear Partnership Focused on Empowerment, Sustainability and Youth Development19.12.2025 14:30:00 CET | Press Release
The New York Liberty and Ant International’s Alipay+, a leading cross-border fintech services platform based in Singapore, today announced a multiyear partnership, making Alipay+ an Official Sponsor and Innovation Partner for Sustainability of the New York Liberty. Through this partnership, Alipay+ and the Liberty will jointly support community programs designed to advance community empowerment, environmental sustainability and youth development across New York City. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251219678825/en/ Peng Yang, CEO, Ant International and Clara Wu Tsai, Vice Chair, Brooklyn Sports and Entertainment; Governor, New York Liberty “Our partnership with Alipay+ goes beyond the game,” said Keia Clarke, Chief Executive Officer, New York Liberty. “Together, we are investing in the future of New York—its people, its environment, and its youth. Ant International’s commitment to community empowerment, sustai
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom