Hansa Biopharma AB (STO:HNSA), a provider of immunomodulatory enzyme technology for rare IgG-mediated diseases, announced on Thursday the selection of a lead candidate for clinical development from its NiceR programme (Novel IgG Cleaving Enzymes for Repeat dosing).

Reportedly, within the company's NiceR programme, novel IgG degrading enzymes are developed by structural refinement of imlifidase and similar molecules, taking advantage of the experience from clinical development of imlifidase. The aim of the development is to create novel IgG inactivating drugs that can be used for repeat dosing in medical conditions where patients benefit from more than one dose of an IgG-modulating enzyme, including relapsing autoimmune diseases, chronic transplant rejection, oncology and repeat dosing of gene therapy.

According to the company, a broad repertoire of novel immunoglobulin cysteine endopeptidases has been developed and patented within the programme. This is the first IgG eliminating enzyme from the NiceR programme that Hansa Medical intends to advance into clinical development.

Also, development of a GMP-manufacturing process for the lead NiceR candidate has been initiated and preparations for toxicology studies and a clinical phase 1 study are now ongoing.

Hansa Biopharma is harnessing its proprietary immunomodulatory enzyme technology platform to develop treatments for rare immunoglobulin G (IgG)-mediated autoimmune conditions, transplant rejection and cancer.