Autoimmune diseases, allergies and chronic inflammations affect about 1-15% of the world population, with rising prevalences, high healthcare burdens and socio-economic impacts costing hundreds of billion dollars annually (Miller FW, Curr. Opin. Immunol., 2023).
The 2025 Nobel Prize for Medicine for the discovery of peripheral immune tolerance by regulatory T cells by Prof M. Brunkow, Prof F. Ramsdell, and Prof S. Sakaguchi highlights the critical role of the immune tolerance mechanism that was embedded in the human immune system to protect us from autoimmune diseases, allergies, GvHD, transplant rejections, and other chronic inflammatory conditions. The manifestations of chronic inflammation in these conditions typically arise from an imbalance between autoreactive inflammatory and immune tolerance responses of the host.
Despite significant advances in treatments achieved with therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAb) biologics and small molecule inhibitors, between 20- 50% of all patients will fail to respond or eventually developed resistance to the current treatments and will need a new therapeutic approach. The current therapeutic paradigm and approaches primarily target the suppression of inflammation by blocking pro-inflammatory cytokines or intracellular signaling pathways with small molecule inhibitors (collectively known as immunosuppressants) without addressing the deficiency of immune tolerance side of the equation to address the root cause of disease etiology. These immunosuppressants also pose serious risks of infections and immuno-compromises due to their broad and non-specific natures, and as an ongoing medication for life. These current clinical challenges represent a significant unmet patient need. An ideal therapy should aim to induce, reset and rebalance immune tolerance responses without compromising the host’s immune defense.
Anti-IgD mAb is a first-in-class, disease-modifying therapeutic mAb that binds to immunoglobulin D (IgD) expressed on B cells to activate the immune responses to engage and harness our body’s inbuilt regulatory immune tolerance mechanisms and anti-inflammatory feedback responses to resolve the key underlying causes of human autoimmune diseases, allergies and chronic inflammations. The modes of action (MoA) of anti-IgD mAb are distinctively different from the current therapeutic approaches with immunosuppressants. Anti-IgD mAb is designed to activate a particular immune response, rather than suppressing it, to engage and harness our body’s inbuilt immune tolerance mechanisms and intrinsic regulatory feedback anti-inflammatory responses.
Anti-IgD mAb restores the balances between the immune tolerance and pro-inflammatory states by: 1) activating regulatory T cells and regulatory B cells, 2) inducing anergic and regulatory phenotypes in B cells, 3) selectively depleting harmful IgD+ mature B cells but spare the more tolerogenic immature B cells, and 4) promoting an anti-inflammatory Th2-phenotypic response to deliver a long last therapeutic effect with minimal compromises to the host’s protective immunity against infections (Nguyen TG, Int. Rev. Immunol., 2022). These MoA features of anti-IgD mAb have been shown to exert immuno-protective and beneficial effects against a wide range of chronic inflammations and immune-mediated conditions in human. MoA by anti-IgD mAb are also designed to be adaptable to other potential platforms.
IMT aims to develop anti-IgD mAb as an innovative, paradigm shifting, and disease-modifying mAb treatment for human chronic inflammations and immune-mediated conditions including autoimmune diseases, allergic conditions, graft versus host diseases (cGVHD), organ transplant rejections, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPDs), stroke-induced inflammations, acute coronary syndromes, cardiovascular inflammations (atherosclerosis, myocarditis) and neuroinflammations (Strokes, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases), where MoA of inducing immune tolerance via regulatory T cells, regulatory B cells and anti-inflammatory Th2 responses have been widely shown in experimental models and in patients to exert immuno-protective and beneficial effects against these immune-mediated conditions.
The novel therapeutic effects of anti-IgD mAb was discovered demonstrated by IMT Chief Scientific Officer and Founder, Dr Tue (Tommie) Gia Nguyen, during his postdoctoral research works. The novel therapeutic efficacies, safety profile and MoA of anti-IgD mAb was demonstrated in clinically relevant mouse models of rheumatoid arthritis, atopic and allergic contact dermatitis. These findings on therapeutic efficacies, MoA and safety profile of anti-IgD mAb have been recently confirmed and corroborated by other independent studies in various mouse models of other autoimmune and allergic conditions. The peer-reviewed publications and corroborating evidence relevant to anti-IgD mAb technology are available on IMT Research Publications link.
IMT is currently looking for funding from family offices, investment funds, venture capitals, and accredited professional investors to advance the clinical development of our humanized anti-IgD mAb to human clinical trials. IMT is also looking for partnerships/collaborations with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. Please contact IMT if interested in this investment opportunity.
IgD Mab Technology (IMT) 