Immunaffect BV

Brief description
Immunaffect B.V. is a life sciences company based on the development of drugs for patients suffering from autoimmune disease, allergies and transplant rejections. The company has discovered a specific receptor as the target for therapy.

Problem in the market
There is a high unmet medical need for directed suppression of undesired immune responses, such as those in autoimmune diseases and allergies.  Millions of patients are suffering from such diseases, but existing therapies are not  disease-specific, meaning that the therapy will not only suppress the reactions against an allergen or auto-antigen, but will also interfere with the immune system’s capacity to fight viruses and bacteria.

How does Immunaffect BV address the problem? 
Immunaffect has established that interactions between this specific receptor and antigens is indispensable for tolerance induction. The company therefore aims to identify molecules or antibodies that have an agonistic effect on this receptor. To achieve this, it uses modelling of the interaction between target and antibody using state-of-the art in silico technology, and leads are subsequently selected on the basis of biological activity in human and mouse model systems.When these potential drugs are administered simultaneously with the disease-causing agent, this will induce a permanent state of tolerance to that specific antigen.