PHARMIgA

Already several years we are intrigued by the fact that immunoglobulin A (IgA), the most abundant antibody class in our body, is not used that much as a biotherapeutic. It is way more versatile than its IgG counterpart, which is the core of many of the biotherapeutics, such as Humira, Herceptin, and Rituximab. IgA is structurally more diverse and displays a more complex proteoform landscape.

Therefore, we are very happy that in the coming years we have secured funding to help build a national research network focused on developing medicines based on IgA antibodies.  Our PHARMIgA consortium, headed by my co-PIs Roos Masereeuw and Albert Heck of the Faculteit Bètawetenschappen (Utrecht University), has been awarded nearly €5 million through the Dutch PharmaNL programme. Together with Jeanette Leusen (UMC Utrecht), Gestur Vidarsson (Sanquin) and Enrico Mastrobattista, and supported by Ana Pelkmans, Celine Miedema, Thom van der Made, we will set up an infrastructure to identify IgA-leads, to recombinantly produce them, and characterize these analytically and functionally, thereby also tackling specific IgA-delivery strategies.

For this work collaboration is essential as the challenges surrounding IgA are too big for any single research group or institution. In PHARMIgA, we unite fundamental science, clinical expertise, and technological innovation. That combination we foresee will truly bring IgA therapies closer to patients.

Either academic and industrial partners are welcome to take part in this initiative. Furthermore, we are looking for a program manager with expertise in business development, to make the PHARMIgA infrastructure accessible, ideally with a background in biopharma.

Soon we hope to report more exciting news on IgA!