On Jan. 7, 2025, IBIO an AI-driven innovator of precision antibody immunotherapies, in collaboration with AstralBio announced the development of an antibody that inhibits the function of Activin E, a promising therapeutic target for cardiometabolic disorders and obesity using iBio’s patented Machine-Learning Antibody Engine.

Developing an antibody against Activin E, an elusive target and an industry first, highlights the robust capabilities of the technology to deliver innovative therapeutics. iBio plans to rapidly advance testing of this molecule and additional candidates in more complex and disease relevant models. Human genetics provide strong evidence for Activin E as a therapeutic target. Individuals with a protective loss-of-function (pLOF) mutation in the INHBE gene have a healthier cardiometabolic profile, including less abdominal fat, lower triglycerides, and lower risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Targeting Activin E directly poses technical challenges for antibody discovery due to its extreme difficulty to produce outside the human body. Traditionally, antibody discovery requires direct injection of the target protein into the body. iBio overcame this challenge with its cutting-edge platform, which identified five critical epitope regions on the Activin E protein. Using its advanced epitope engineering technology, iBio developed synthetic epitopes replicating these regions. This groundbreaking method facilitated the creation of antibodies targeting all five epitopes without producing Activin E itself.