Our Mission

Anwita Biosciences, Inc. is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area. We are advancing our product pipeline of improved cytokines (Exenokines, Mableukins etc) and tumor-targeting antibody drug conjugates. Our lead product, Exenokine-21, has been accepted by China NMPA and the US FDA to initiate clinical studies.

Our mission is to deliver transformative treatment options to improve the lives of patients with cancer and autoimmune diseases. We specialize in the discovery and development of optimized immunotherapeutics, leveraging our core expertise in cancer immunotherapy, bioinformatics, and target-based protein evolution.


Science

Technology

A diagram showcasing Anwita's technology workflow.

Anwita’s core technology integrates structure-guided AccuKine cytokine evolution and AccuBody discovery of full spectrum nanobodies and antibodies, enabling the development of fully optimized cytokine fusions with superior therapeutic potential, favorable safety profile and great developmentability. Our unique product portfolio includes half-live extended Exenokines, immune cell- or tumor cell-targeting Mableukines, and bi-functional Duoleukins. These new generation of cytokines could serve as powerful novel immune therapies with a wide range of applications in treating patients with cancers and autoimmune diseases.

Publications

  1. Ye F. et al. A Safe and Highly Potent αPD1-IL2 Fusion (AWT020) that Decouples the Efficacy and Toxicity of IL-2 Therapy. https://anwitabio.com/events/2022/sitc/poster/pd1-il2.pdf
  2. Huang Z. et al. A highly potent anti-LAG-3-IL-2C that selectively targets tumor specific CD8+ T cells. https://anwitabio.com/events/2022/sitc/poster/lag3-il2.pdf
  3. Cheng X. et al. Exenokine-2: a half-life extended no-α-IL-2 with improved preclinical pharmacological properties supports first-in-human clinical development. https://anwitabio.com/events/2022/sitc/poster/exn-2.pdf
  4. Ye F. et al. A safe and highly potent anti-PD1-IL-2C fusion that decouples efficacy and toxicity of IL-2 therapy. https://anwitabio.com/aacr-poster.png
  5. Liu H. et al. An engineered IL-21 with half-life extension enhances anti-tumor immunity as a monotherapy or in combination with PD-1 or TIGIT blockade. Int Immunopharmacol. 2021 Dec;101(Pt A):108307. doi: 10.1016/j.intimp.2021.108307. Epub 2021 Nov 1. PMID: 34735918. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34735918/
  6. Wu S. et al. The Half-Life-Extended IL21 can Be Combined With Multiple Checkpoint Inhibitors for Tumor Immunotherapy. Front Cell Dev Biol. 2021 Nov 15;9:779865. doi: 10.3389/fcell.2021.779865. PMID: 34869384; PMCID: PMC8634682. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34735918/

Pipeline

Program

MOA

Patient Population

Pre­clinical

Lead ID

Lead OP

IND Enabling

Phase 1

Exenokine​-21 (JS014)

Lymphoma, head and neck, RCC, melanoma as a combined agent​

Exenokine-21 (JS014) is a half-life extended IL-21 being developed for treating cancer patients as a combined therapy with standard-of-care therapies. The antitumor activities of Exenokine-21 have been demonstrated in multiple mouse tumor models, both as a superior single agent when compared to the unmodified IL-21 and as an effective combined agent potentiating the efficacy of immunotherapies. The safety and efficacy of Exenokine-21 in humans is being evaluated in ongoing Phase 1 clinical trials. World-wide rights excluding Greater China territories are available for partnership.

IL-21

Lymphoma, head and neck, RCC, melanoma as a combined agent​

First-in-Class
TopAlliance Logo
 
 
 
 
Exenokine​-2 (RT003)

RCC, melanoma, ovarian cancer

Exenokine-2 (RT003) is a half-life extended IL-2Na being developed to minimize systemic toxicity while maximizing the clinical benefits of wild-type IL-2. In preclinical studies, Exenokine-2 demonstrated robust dose-dependent single-agent activity as well as an enhanced antitumor activity when combined with anti-PD1, trastuzumab or rituximab. In non-human primates, Exn-2 induced pronounced and sustained expansion of lymphocytes and CD8+ T cells with no or minimal effects on eosinophils and Treg cells. No major safety findings or signs of VLS were observed at the pharmacologically active doses. GMP manufacturing has been completed producing sufficient drug product to support Phase1 clinical study. World-wide rights excluding Greater China territories are available for partnership.

IL-2

RCC, melanoma, ovarian cancer

Best-in-Class
TopAlliance Logo
 
 
 
 
aPD1​-IL-2c (AWT020)

aPD-1 refractory NSCLC, RCC, melanoma, and urothelial carcinoma​

aPD1-IL-2c (AWT020) is a targeted fusion protein comprised of an anti-PD1 antibody linked to a potency optimized IL-2Na The IL-2Na component of the fusion protein has been engineered to have low systemic toxicity. The anti-PD1 antibody component not only serves to block the interaction between PD1 and PD-L1 but also functions to selectively deliver the potency optimized IL-2Na to PD1+ T cells within the tumor microenvironment. In preclinical studies, aPD1-IL-2c demonstrated superior single-agent antitumor activity with robust immunological memory accompanied by preferential activation and expansion of functional intratumoral T cells. The antitumor activity of aPD1-IL-2c is driven by CD8+ T cells. In contrast to competitors’ products, aPD1-IL-2c is devoid of NK cell dependent toxicity. In non-human primates, aPD1-IL-2c is well tolerated at dose levels that support the clinical plan. World-wide rights are available for partnership.

PD-1 and IL-2

aPD-1 refractory NSCLC, RCC, melanoma, and urothelial carcinoma​

Best-in-Class
 
 
 
 
aLAG3​-IL-2c

Melanoma combined with aPD-1;​ Solid tumors combined with CART therap

aLAG3-IL-2c is a targeted immunocytokine comprised of a biparatopic anti-LAG3 antibody and a potency optimized IL-2Na. aLAG3-IL-2c selectively targets and activates LAG3+ cells which are predominately tumor-specific CD8+ T cells. The selective targeting of aLAG3-IL-2c enabled the single-agent to be superiorly efficacious with unappreciable systemic toxicity in various tumor models, as well as to be synergistic with anti-PD1 antibody in both anti-PD1 sensitive and resistant models. In addition, aLAG3-IL-2c demonstrated enhanced in vitro expansion and cytotoxicity, and in vivo efficacy of MSLN-targeted CAR-T cells, demonstrating the potential to be combined with CART therapy. World-wide rights are available for partnership.

LAG-3 and IL-2

Melanoma combined with aPD-1;​ Solid tumors combined with CART therap

First-in-Class
 
 
 
 
Antibody Drug Conjugates

Solid tumors

Leveraging on Anwita’s powerful antibody discovery engine and proprietary topoisomerase inhibitor ATI020, our ADC program aims at developing treatment options for cancer patients with unmet medical needs. ATI020 is a potent topoisomerase inhibitor with efficient by-stander killing activity. Our antibody discovery platform had enabled the discovery and development of high affinity antibodies for many clinically validated targets, including CD78b, Nectin-4, mesothelin, B7H3, and HER3. The feasibilities of these antibodies as ADC candidates have been demonstrated with MMAE as the payload. And they are being further evaluated with ATI020 as the payload to target tumors that are responsive to topoisomerase inhibition. Our current ADC pipeline includes an anti-Nectin-4-ATI020 ADC for the potential treatment of urothelial carcinoma and GI cancers, an anti-B7H3-ATI020 for the potential treatment solid tumors including CRC and NSCLC, and an anti-MSLN-ATI020 for treating mesothelioma and pancreatic cancer. Anwita is continuing to explore other potential targets for effective cancer treatment.

Multiple targets

Solid tumors

Proprietary Payloads
 
 
 
 
Discovery Programs

Anwita applies our AccuKine cytokine evolution and AccuBody discovery platform to design, optimize, and validate new therapeutic candidates with improved pharmaceutical properties in immuno-oncology, autoimmune, and inflammatory disease areas.

 
 
 
 

Click or tap on any Program to read more about that project.


Our Leadership


News

Date: October 5th, 2022

Anwita Biosciences, Inc. Announces Multiple Poster Presentations Showcasing Its Three Cytokine-Based Therapeutics at 37th Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) 2022 Annual Meeting

Press Release

Date: September 21st, 2022

Anwita Biosciences Announced Today Dosing of First Patient in Its Phase I Clinical Trial of JS014, a Half-life Extended IL-21, for the Treatment of Solid Tumors

Press Release

Date: March 15th, 2022

Anwita Biosciences, Inc. announces presentation on Mableukine-2PD1 at the 2022 annual American Association of Cancer Research (AACR) meeting.

Press Release

Date: October 29th, 2021

Anwita Biosciences, Inc. Announces Initiation of first-in-human Phase 1 clinical trial of Exenokine-21 for monotherapy and combination, earns $2.5 million milestone for IND acceptance from Partner Shanghai Junshi Biosciences

Press Release

Date: June 28th, 2021

Anwita Biosciences, Inc. Completes $18.5 Million Series B Financing to Advance Its Improved Cytokines (Exenokines) And Tumor Targeting Antibody Drug Conjugates

Press Release

Date: September 30th, 2020

Anwita Biosciences and Shanghai Junshi Biosciences entered into a new collaboration in which Junshi was granted the exclusive rights to Anwita's Exenokine-2, an improved IL-2 variant with extended half-life, in the Greater China territories.

Press Release

Date: June 24th, 2019

Strategic collaboration between Anwita Biosciences and Shanghai Junshi Biosciences whereby Junshi was granted the exclusive rights to develop and commercialize Anwita's Exenokine-21 program in the Greater China territories.

Press Release


Careers


Openings

Scientist

Contribute to experimental planning, implementation, and data analysis; Independently design plasmid maps, primers and cloning strategies for antibodies and fusion proteins; Use ExpiCHO transient transfection and expression system to produce new proteins; Purify protein from ExpiCHO expression system and use analytical instrument including HPLC, AKTA to characterize protein quantity, quality and purity; Design mutations to change certain property of target protein, including receptor binding, stability and productivity; Use Octet Red96 instrument to perform binding assays and measure the dissociation constant; Perform cell based binding and functional screening assays to ID target specific antibody binders; Generate stable expression cell lines for cell based assays using pAS-puro vector and puromycin selection; Support antibody discovery team and perform phage display library construction and screening; Design and perform cell based assays, including cell surface staining, signaling assay and flow cytometry; Prepare reports and present in weekly group meeting.

Education and Experience

  • Master’s Degree (or foreign equivalent) in Molecular Biology, Biomedical Engineering, or related field
  • 2 years of experience in a research position in a biotechnology company. Position requires experience with:
    • molecular cloning
    • protein purification and characterization
    • cell culture

Benefits

  • Competitive compensation
  • Stock options at all levels
  • 401(K) plan
  • Official holidays
  • Generous paid time off (PTO)
  • Sick days
  • Medical plan
  • Dental plan
  • Visional plan
  • Life insurance