Completed Infection & Immunity Cells, Biochemistry & Physiology

ZAC-3 Developing and manufacturing a low cost mAb against V. cholerae

In plain English

AI plain-English summary

A single antibody treatment against cholera is being engineered for mass production at under $20 per gram, with the goal of creating the first approved prophylactic monoclonal antibody for a disease that kills tens of thousands each year. Cholera causes rapid, severe dehydration through diarrhoea, and outbreaks in displaced populations or areas with poor sanitation can overwhelm health systems. No preventive antibody drug currently exists; vaccines exist but require cold chains and take time to generate immunity. This project targets that gap by developing ZAC-3, an antibody that directly neutralises *Vibrio cholerae* bacteria in the gut—agglutinating them, stopping their movement, and killing them via immune complement. If successful, the impact would be felt in outbreak response logistics. A subcutaneous injection that does not need refrigeration could be stockpiled and deployed rapidly to refugee camps or disaster zones. The manufacturing process itself is part of the innovation: the team aims to produce the antibody at commercial scale for under $10 per gram, slashing the typical cost of biologic drugs. They also plan to share the intellectual property openly, creating a replicable pathway for other low-cost protein drugs targeting diseases of poverty. This is applied development, not fundamental science—the goal is a tangible product for a specific unmet need.

View original technical description
Project Aims - Engineer and evaluate three variants of ZAC-3 utilizing LS and YTE Fc-modifications. - Evaluate humanized ZAC-3 IgG derivatives for functional activities, including V. cholerae agglutination, V. cholerae motility arrest, complement-mediated vibriocidal activity, and reduction in V. cholerae intestinal colonization. - Engineer highly productive CHO cell-line expressing +2 g/L to 8 g/L. - Develop production process increasing productivity 20% to 50% over cell-line performance. - Develop downstream process achieving >70% yield; and exceeding viral-clearance requirements. - Create viable subcutaneous injection delivery method. - Manufacture +20 grams of MAb for pre-clinical IND-enabling studies. - Clinical manufacturing process achieves <$20 per gram. Long-term Program Aspirations - An approved effective prophylactic MAb against cholera where none currently exists. - Biomanufacturing resulting in COGS below $10 per gram at commercial scale. - Formulation limiting, or eliminating, reliance on complex cold chain storage, facilitating deployment to outbreak areas. - Sharing IP technology developed under this program with others working for equitable public health. - Creating a new pathway that can be replicated with other recombinant proteins for diseases affecting LMICs, displaced persons, and those afflicted by diseases of poverty. Our goal is to create a new pathway for ourselves and other organizations to provide low cost biologic drugs to those unable to access such medicines.

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Researchers

Gary Pierce (EPMC Awardee)Joan Robbins (EPMC Awardee)Kevin Whaley (EPMC Awardee)Nicholas Mantis (EPMC Awardee)

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Original classification

Innovations AIGH Enterics Flagship

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