SAN DIEGO, July 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- BioAtla, LLC, a global biotechnology company focused on the development of Conditionally Active Biologic (CAB) antibody therapeutics, today announced the appointment of Lawrence Fong, M.D., as a scientific advisor. Dr. Fong is a leader in clinical research and has dedicated 20 years to the field of cancer immunotherapy.  Dr. Fong's research focuses on understanding the ways by which immunotherapies can lead to clinical responses as well as to treatment-induced side effects. This work includes tracking antigen-specific T cell responses both in pre-clinical models and in treated cancer patients and developing biomarkers that are associated with clinical outcomes.

"The knowledge, experience and insight of Dr. Fong will provide valuable contributions to the direction and prioritization of our CAB development programs.  In particular, his advice will enhance our decisions and design of clinical trials for combination CAB bispecific antibodies and CAB immunotherapies," said Jay M. Short, Ph.D., Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President of BioAtla.

About Dr. Fong
Lawrence Fong, M.D. is Efim Guzik Distinguished Professor in Cancer Biology and leads the Cancer Immunotherapy Program at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).  He is a physician-scientist in the Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology directing both a translational research program and an NIH funded research lab. At UCSF he also co-directs the Parker Institute of Cancer Immunotherapy and co-leads the Cancer Immunology Program in the Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center. He has served on multiple NIH study sections and committees including the NCI Investigational Drug Steering Committee (IDSC) and Genitourinary Cancers Steering Committee (GUSC). He has also served on multiple scientific advisory boards and journal editorial boards including the Journal of Clinical Oncology and Cancer Immunology Research.

About Conditionally Active Biologics (CABs)
Conditionally Active Biologic proteins are generated using BioAtla's proprietary protein discovery, evolution and expression technologies. These proteins can be monoclonal antibodies, enzymes and other proteins designed with functions dependent on changes in microphysiological conditions (e.g., pH level, oxidation, temperature, pressure, presence of certain ions, hydrophobicity and combinations thereof) both outside and inside cells.

Studies have shown that cancerous tumors create highly specific conditions at their site that are not present in normal tissue. These cancerous microenvironments are primarily a result of the well understood glycolytic metabolism associated with cancer cells, even in the presence of oxygen, referred to as the Warburg Effect. CAB proteins are designed to deliver their therapeutic payload and/or recruit the immune response in specific and selected locations and conditions within the body and to be active only in the presence of a particular cellular microenvironment. In addition, the activation is designed to be reversible to repeatedly switch 'on and off' should the CAB move from a diseased to a normal cellular microenvironment and vice versa. CABs can be developed in a variety of formats including monoclonal antibodies, antibody drug conjugates (ADCs), bispecific antibodies, chimeric antigen receptor T-cells (CAR-Ts) and combination therapies.

About BioAtla, LLC
BioAtla is a global biotechnology company with operations in San Diego, California, and Beijing, China. BioAtla develops novel monoclonal antibody and other protein therapeutic product candidates designed to have more selective targeting, greater efficacy, and more cost-efficient and predictable manufacturing than traditional antibodies.

Learn more at www.bioatla.com.  

Contact:

Richard Waldron
Chief Financial Officer
BioAtla, LLC
rwaldron@bioatla.com 
858.356.8945

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SOURCE BioAtla, LLC